Property, Defined
There was an argument about the meaning of property on the [gsc] list. I sent my definition:
I'll take a stab at it, using the first person.
- My body is my property.
- Anything I find lying around that is not already somebody else's property is my property, if I say it is. That includes areas of land.
- Anything that was once the property of somebody else but which that person voluntarily gave to me is now my property, not the other person's.
- Anything that was once my property but that I voluntarily gave to somebody else is now that person's property, not mine.
- Only sentient beings can have property. Non-sentient beings can BE property. I'm not going to attempt to define sentience here.
That's about it. Doesn't account for intellectual property because that's so hard to define, and I'm not entirely sure I believe in it.
It also doesn't deal with property owned by voluntary associations. Not too hard to define, but adds complications.
So the first person to plant
So the first person to plant their flag on a new earth owns that entire world property? Or must there be some 'usage' requirement?
IIRC, traditional claim
IIRC, traditional claim staking required some sort of usage. As a practical matter, however, that usage really only requires enough monitoring of the claimed land to repel invaders. Claim more than you can defend, and you're not too likely to keep it.
OK. NOW THIS IS FUNNY
OK. NOW THIS IS FUNNY STUFF!
You don't believe in intellectual property?!! AHAHAHHA
I think i've figured you out. You meant you don't UNDERSTAND intellectual property! So do you believe in newton's laws? I bet you're a creationist aren't ya?
hahaha i changed my mind this is the best site ever!
Intellectual property
Well, intellectual property and Newton's law are entirely different things. The former is a concept dreamed up by humans. The latter is a physical law of the universe. The former requires men with guns to enforce. The latter just happens, no matter what anybody thinks about it.
Intellectual property is different than other property. If I own a car, and you take the car, I no longer have it. Only one of us can have it at a time. If I own an idea and you take it, then we both have the idea. It may now be less valuable to me, since I am no longer the only person who can use that idea, but I still have it.
So though I think patents and copyright are interesting and probably useful, I also think that they're abused, benefiting nobody but the lawyers. If you don't want me having your idea, keep it secret. Then again, if you sell a product which makes your idea obvious, why should I be able to copy that product, avoiding the great cost you went through to dream it up and make it work? It's a complicated topic. I'm not going to figure it out in a blog comment.
Lovely, pithy, well stated,
Lovely, pithy, well stated, and well thought.
Thank you.
ilo
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