Thoughts, ideas, art, software, academic or scientific knowledge and any other result of an individual thinking process belongs to mankind. The evolution of humanity depends on capable individuals who feed us with new thoughts, ideas and discoveries to manage the challenge called future. Those who feed humanity with their work, inventions and knowledge should be fostered and rewarded, of course. If we did not, humanity were doomed to disappear from the surface of this planet sooner or later - no one is interested to starve while developing something new.
All results of thinking processes forwarded by individuals - including music, pictures and sculptures - are commonly combined to one generalising term known as 'mental property'. This term implies that we do not talk about a material good, but an idea which might be used to create material goods. Mental property can be protected by copyrights, granting the owner of an idea exclusive rights of commercial or ideal exploitation.
From moral sight, it surely is a questionable act if someone declares a thought or an idea to be her or his 'mental property'. On the other hand, we live in a world where this practise was errected as a base principle of 'individual freedom'. Whether we like it or not, we have to accept it 'as is'. What we can do is to use this principle as a tool to undermine the intention of copyrights and wait for the moment, where the foundation lost any solid ground and cannot carry the weight of the palace built upon it any longer.
Under real life conditions, 'mental property' is threatened by the permanent danger of being purchased for a few bucks to exploit it commercially and make the maximum possible profit. Those who have ideas stay poor while those who already had enough get a little bit richer. The worst examples can be found in the software business, where code written by the employees automatically becomes 'mental property' of the company they are working for. This is a safe method to get rich far beyond the personal needs of any human on the back of many humans.
A second, most times forgotten, fact is the danger of suppressing knowledge capable to revolutionise markets or to make entire product lines superfluous. Ideas with such dangerous potentials are purchased at once and are hidden from anyone until Doomsday. If similar ideas appear, we can hinder them from being published with long lasting patent processes or other, less legal methods.
Because knowledge can be declared to be a private property, the interests of a few individuals override the interests of humanity.
A few individuals get the legal right to give their own or purchased knowlege away for money. If it does not make profit, or even jeopardises the merchandising of current products, it is hidden to prevent it from disturbing their business. As long a a continuous stream of money flows, they neither are interested in the evolution of our species nor in the side effects of their business, taking away the ground below our feets. Until humanity becomes extinct because they wasted all resources and polluted our environment to a point where all life must die, they surely can make another trillion bucks. Who cares about life on earth as long as there's money to earn?
Every human is free to purchase badly converted ideas of creative artists - produced and delivered by highly specialised exploitation industries - to keep the vicious cirkle called 'added value' alive. On the other hand, we are free to resist the obligation to purchase industrial products. As an alternative, we can choose and use charge-free replacements created by independent creative people. Industrial products developed by employees kept in 'think tanks' generally cannot compete with individual master pieces developed by creative people who are not forced to make profit at any cost.
Every creative person is free to sell the results of her/his thoughts for money. But - with the act of selling, you also give away the control over your work and the right to exploit it commercially. Whether the buyer hides it in Fort Knox, sells a million copies with a pink ribbon around it, resells it or throws it into the next waste bin - s/he is free to do with the purchased work whatever s/he wants.
Every creative person also is free to put a copyright on her/his work and publish it for free, so any interested person can use the work on a non-commercial base. Commercial exploitation still is possible, but reserved for the author of the work.
All results of thinking processes forwarded by individuals - including music, pictures and sculptures - are commonly combined to one generalising term known as 'mental property'. This term implies that we do not talk about a material good, but an idea which might be used to create material goods. Mental property can be protected by copyrights, granting the owner of an idea exclusive rights of commercial or ideal exploitation.
From moral sight, it surely is a questionable act if someone declares a thought or an idea to be her or his 'mental property'. On the other hand, we live in a world where this practise was errected as a base principle of 'individual freedom'. Whether we like it or not, we have to accept it 'as is'. What we can do is to use this principle as a tool to undermine the intention of copyrights and wait for the moment, where the foundation lost any solid ground and cannot carry the weight of the palace built upon it any longer.
Under real life conditions, 'mental property' is threatened by the permanent danger of being purchased for a few bucks to exploit it commercially and make the maximum possible profit. Those who have ideas stay poor while those who already had enough get a little bit richer. The worst examples can be found in the software business, where code written by the employees automatically becomes 'mental property' of the company they are working for. This is a safe method to get rich far beyond the personal needs of any human on the back of many humans.
What Is That Bad About It?
Property of thoughts, ideas, technical processes, scientific perceptions, short: knowledge, is counterproductive, because something belonging to humanity is turned into private property. Instead of supporting the evolution of our species and culture, knowledge and the results of creative processes disappear in safes. Access is limited to those, who can afford to purchase cheap copies or licenses, granting the right to use commercially processed (and therefore limited) knowledge on a private base. The price for such products only is limited by the pain barrier of average customers - the maximum amount they are willing to pay for them.A second, most times forgotten, fact is the danger of suppressing knowledge capable to revolutionise markets or to make entire product lines superfluous. Ideas with such dangerous potentials are purchased at once and are hidden from anyone until Doomsday. If similar ideas appear, we can hinder them from being published with long lasting patent processes or other, less legal methods.
Because knowledge can be declared to be a private property, the interests of a few individuals override the interests of humanity.
What Is Good About It?
A few individuals increase their wealth at the cost of all humans, earning sums sufficient to feed thousands of people for a lifetime. The more people theye can buy, the more power they have. The more power they have, the more money they can make.A few individuals get the legal right to give their own or purchased knowlege away for money. If it does not make profit, or even jeopardises the merchandising of current products, it is hidden to prevent it from disturbing their business. As long a a continuous stream of money flows, they neither are interested in the evolution of our species nor in the side effects of their business, taking away the ground below our feets. Until humanity becomes extinct because they wasted all resources and polluted our environment to a point where all life must die, they surely can make another trillion bucks. Who cares about life on earth as long as there's money to earn?
And Now?
Knowledge and creative work are properties of mankind and should be freely available for all people living on this planet.Every human is free to purchase badly converted ideas of creative artists - produced and delivered by highly specialised exploitation industries - to keep the vicious cirkle called 'added value' alive. On the other hand, we are free to resist the obligation to purchase industrial products. As an alternative, we can choose and use charge-free replacements created by independent creative people. Industrial products developed by employees kept in 'think tanks' generally cannot compete with individual master pieces developed by creative people who are not forced to make profit at any cost.
Every creative person is free to sell the results of her/his thoughts for money. But - with the act of selling, you also give away the control over your work and the right to exploit it commercially. Whether the buyer hides it in Fort Knox, sells a million copies with a pink ribbon around it, resells it or throws it into the next waste bin - s/he is free to do with the purchased work whatever s/he wants.
Every creative person also is free to put a copyright on her/his work and publish it for free, so any interested person can use the work on a non-commercial base. Commercial exploitation still is possible, but reserved for the author of the work.
