Quote:
Originally Posted by Ralph Sir Edward
What rights? I am not joking. This is where this debate always falls down. I.P., as it is currently thought of, did not exist before the Statue of Anne in 1714 in England. It's not in any of the world's sacred writings, it's not listed as one of the "natural rights" of Man. Despite the label, it's not property!
It's a grant by the public to encourage the production of new works by creating a limited monopoly. Baldly practical, and the terms are set to the advantage of public, not the creator. A balancing act between offering just enough for the creation of works and giving away too much of the public's rights.
|
I think this wording is problematic.
All of what we call "rights" are privileges. The only thing that differs is their vintage. All rights result from a social contract. The right to vote isn't any more part of a person's DNA than copyright is. They both result from social contracts. To say that one is less genuine than the other isn't really accurate, in my view.