Intellectual Property rights - The Myth that ought to die

Intellectual Property is a fallacy. (an illusory concept)

1. Created by governments to literally be handed out to those who were deemed deserving.
Statute of Monopolies

2. Enforcing arbitrary restrictions on human thought by way of registering with the government.
Thanks USPTO

Creators want to share their ideas with the world, and if the world finds them valuable, they are compensated. Simply because I compose an original something does not entitle me to anything. When others see value in my creation, then I can trade it, but the obligation to do so is not there simply because of its creation.

One of the biggest areas within Steemit is SteemIt Art, one cannot get more subjective than our individual interpretations of value in art, and Steemit monetizes this value epicly. While other pages like youtube, facebook, and other content publication sites can be monetized it does not take into account subjective value the consumer places on the information

This is not to say that one cannot fully participate in the agreement one is bound to when purchasing something. Nor that the creator of a thing cannot exert control over the creation.

Copy Protection

To the extent that they see value in doing so, one may create guidelines for use, inasmuch as they can enforce it. But breaking those guidelines, unless through actual contractual obligation, does nothing of harm to the creator. Further this process may lead to innovation, or simply be instructions for optimized/safe use.

In society, EULAs and other contractual information generally isn't regarded by the consumer, and if it is, short of a law degree to understand the ramifications of clicking accept to access software. One generally must employ someone else to ascertain the consequences of violating any number of clauses(like gold farmers, spammers, and the like.)

This distortion is brought to you in part by The United States Government and its subsidiaries. And funding by readers like you.

Below is an example of copy protection currently used

Emphasis and commentary added for understanding

How are activation and genuine Windows connected?

Activation pairs your product key or digital entitlement with your hardware configuration and helps verify that your copy of Windows hasn't been used on more PCs than the Microsoft Software License Terms allow. Usually, you only need to activate Windows once, unless you make a significant hardware change.

What is significant about the hardware, when the purchase is for software?

Genuine Windows is a recurring process that checks your product key or digital entitlement to make sure it's not blocked or being used on hardware that's different from what you were using when you activated Windows. The genuine, or validation, check is performed when your PC attempts to download optional updates from Microsoft. For example, when your PC downloads updates, Windows checks to see if your product key or digital entitlement is valid. If it is, Windows on your PC is genuine, and you're eligible to receive the latest updates from Microsoft. If it's not, your PC is running non-genuine Windows.

Ever read that? Microsoft is claiming to only agree to offer updates to genuine copies, registered with specific hardware. Enforceable to some extent but why also have patents? To prevent people from doing this. Becoming Pirates

Or is it really just actual market competition? Should people be restricted from purchasing and re-creating something then selling it? (if they use Microsofts name, it would be fraudulent to the consumer, but only by way of authorship, not ownership.) Ideas cannot be owned, they can be shared or saved. But once an idea has come to light, if it is valuable enough people will trade for it. Governments prove that if it exists, it will attempt to control it.

Why must IP die? It not only holds society back, it is one of the foundational supports that props governments up. How else is there to stifle innovation, monopolize ideas, and create artificial scarcity by way of thought control. If one doesn't have a national system to register inventions and have them catalogued so anyone claiming ownership and sales rights can be summarily extorted, abducted and caged, or killed.

Creating a song, a piece of software, a design schematic, or even artwork, brings something into the world that did not exist prior, and while that is commendable, the value in doing so is not only in the creator's view. The creation, to have value, must be viewed as valuable by someone else willing to trade. And so too, must the creator be willing to trade the value the other places on the item, be it steem, bitcoin, gold, silver, or government currency. This is the beauty of trade, and as society grows, we will continue finding ways to exchange value by creating and sharing.

But don't just take my word for it.

Against Intellectual Property Stephen Kinsella

More with a list of Anti-IP resources

C4SIF

Roderick Long

Patent Nonsense

IPvsRP

Salute to the Molinari Institute for this comprehensive list.

Praxeology