Quote:
Originally Posted by HansTWN
I really don't see the difference. Physical property rights don't exist without government if you can't defend them yourself. Without government, if someone stronger comes along takes a club to your head and demands the lock to your treasure chest, what will you do? Society defends your property rights, be it physical or intellectual property. Now for intellectual property, it has been decided that there is a time limited this property can be passed on after death. The first European versions of copyright were for particular works and expressly granted to provide income for authors.
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The eternal copyright position requires that the right to intellectual property be a natural right, one that is not dependent on any government. If it is asserted that neither physical nor intellectual property are natural rights, then the position that limited copyright is legalized theft is rendered null.
But even with government, the thugs can still demand your key, it happens all the time. The difference between physical and intellectual property is that you have means to protect physical property without government, for example, locking a door. Government offers protection in addition to what you already have, it doesn't create a kind of property that didn't exist without government.
Intellectual property, on the other hand, is meaningless without government, as it is a creation of government. There is no door to lock, without government, the most you could do is to ask someone not to copy your book.