Intellectual "PROPERTY"

From: Sean 'Captain Napalm' Conner <spc_at_conman.org>
Date: Sat Jan 18 14:21:00 2003

It was thus said that the Great Lawrence Walker once stated:
>
> Reading classiccmp today I wanted to puke. I'm sorry,
> I'm with Stallman, fuck the corporate spin-doctors.
>
> In the real world ideas are free and even Bob Dylan was
> noted for his free use of others material. "Intellectual
> PROPERTY" ? That's a lawyer's and corporate term.

  In discussion with another person on this very subject, he (the other
person) wanted to know what the justification was to call it "intellectual
property." He claimed that the law didn't call it such; if he's right or
wrong I do not know, but he did mention Article 1, section 8, clause 7 of
the Constitution:

        To promote the progress of science and useful arts, by securing for
        limited times to authors and inventors the exclusive right to their
        respective writings and discoveries;

  Or in other words, a monopoly on their works.

  I responded that perhaps instead of calling it "intellectual property" it
might better be called "intellectual monopoly."

  -spc (Which it really is ... )
Received on Sat Jan 18 2003 - 14:21:00 GMT