I am strongly convinced that the possession of ideas and creations of the intellect is not possible. In my opinion, only physical things can be possessed, that is, things that are limited, that is, that can only be in one place. The power or the freedom to do with the object what one wants corresponds to the concept of possession. This does not mean, however, that one must expose everything openly. It is ultimately the difference between proprietary solutions, where the “construction manual” is kept to oneself, and the open source philosophy, where this source is accessible to everyone.
As the title says, I would oppose this thesis to your arguments and hope that together we can rethink and improve our positions. Please keep in mind that this can be an enrichment for all, so we discuss with each other and not against each other ;)
This is something I haven’t considered. I’ll think about it ;)
You should also consider that trademarks (another type of IP) exist to protect consumers.
Imagine trademark law were abolished. You go to the store to buy an Apple iPhone 14. When you get home, you realize that the Apple iPhone 14 box contains a flip phone with a sticker that says “Apple iPhone 14”.
You bring it back to the store but they refuse to give your money back. You wanted a phone labeled “Apple iPhone 14”, and that’s what you got. Anyone can legally call their product “Apple iPhone 14” when trademarks are abolished.
Maybe you’re thinking, “I’ll just shop at Best Buy, because I know I can trust them.” But without trademark law, nothing stops some rando from opening a store and naming it “Best Buy”. Now who do you trust?
Ultimately, this means every purchase is going to take much longer, as you will need to fully inspect every product to avoid being ripped off. Every purchase will basically be like a Craigslist transaction. If that’s what a libertarian IP paradise is like, I prefer the current system.
Trademarks make it possible for buyers to trust someone they haven’t met before.
You, I like.
Thats going the wrong way. Of course anybody can call itself Apple but can they verify it? If not why would I buy from them? Give me like a proof on a blockchain that you product was built in an original Apple factory and shipped here and that this shop actually holds the license from the “original” apple to sell stuff officially in their name. Also before I would buy anything I’d ask to see the product myself otherwise they can kiss my ass. The blockchain is just one example. There are plenty of ways technology enables us to mark the original as such. Also these technologies will evolve with time so in the end it’s just a matter of the consoomer caring or not.