Re: gpl licensing

[Richard Tobin]

In article <20061205222505.2798df88.hoendech@ecc.lu>,
Stefaan A Eeckels  <hoendech@ecc.lu> wrote:

>No, it just means that they have not yet been universally accepted as
>property. We have no problems considering land (real estate) property,
>but traditionally Bantu societies do not consider that land can be
>owned by an individual. There are no "natural" characteristics of
>property, just accepted ones.

There are natural characteristics of physical objects, which are
related to the laws we have about them.  It is a characteristic of
physical objects that if one person owns them, another person doesn't.
That some societies don't allow land to be owned doesn't change that
fact.  However so-called "intellectual property" does not have this
characteristic, because a copy is readily made and as good as the
original.  The law gives abstract works that characteristic by
granting monopolies such as copyright and patents.

To reiterate: the distinction between physical property and
intellectual property arises from facts about the world, not just
conventions of society.

>> Naturally, various
>> interests would like this to be the case, and using the term
>> "intellectual property" plays into their hands.  The same goes for
>> using terms like "theft" and "stealing" when referring to copyright
>> infringement.
>
>Of course. People will try and protect what butters their bread. 

Some people will.  People organised into companies are particularly
liable to this.

-- Richard
-- 
"Consideration shall be given to the need for as many as 32 characters
in some alphabets" - X3.4, 1963.