Quote:
Originally Posted by Kirtai
Then how else would you define copyright?
Note that I said nothing about whether this was a good or bad thing, just what it is.
If you do work that no one wants and no one asked for, should you be paid for it? (I'm aware that not what you meant but you did come across that way)
Where did I even imply that?
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I would call it "exclusive right to make copies". A monopoly would be to grant someone the exclusive right to publish SF novels, for example. A pet peeve of mine is people calling the right to publish a single book a monopoly. If we go by that logic, then almost every company would have a monopoly. For me a monopoly exists when the buyer has no alternative to buy something similar elsewhere. And any right must be state-enforced, unless other people respect it. When someone steals your car, don't you call the police?
As far as doing work that no one wants or asked for, well, that is the same for a physical item. If I painted a landscape nobody in his right mind would pay a cent for it. But it is my right to decide not to let people have it for free either. So I would be stuck with it, but it is my decision. And taking it from me would still be wrong, even though I would have lost nothing of value.