Quote:
Originally Posted by tubemonkey
I don't see a difference between tangible property and intellectual property.
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Intellectual property is a government creation. Even without government, you can still protect your physical property by locking it up. This kind of property has existed for many thousands of years. But without government, you have no mechanism at all for protecting intellectual property.
Some businesses decide to forgo the protection of patents, for example, and use trade secrets. That way they can keep their technology as long as they can keep it secret. But once it gets out, they have no protection at all. If you don't like the deal that copyright gives you, you're free to forgo this protection. It's impossible to keep someone from copying it, but you're free to go it alone.
If you really believe that the public domain is theft, then anyone who uses public domain materials, or materials derived from the public domain is receiving stolen goods.