Comments on: circularity of real and intellectual property http://tieguy.org/blog/2007/01/09/circularity-of-real-and-intellectual-property/ Ramblings on law school in New York, free software, and the spaces in between. Fri, 21 Nov 2008 17:53:22 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: Crosbie Fitch http://tieguy.org/blog/2007/01/09/circularity-of-real-and-intellectual-property/#comment-5349 Crosbie Fitch Tue, 09 Jan 2007 10:25:52 +0000 http://tieguy.org/blog/2007/01/09/circularity-of-real-and-intellectual-property/#comment-5349 IP is the property of each intellect that legitimately receives it. If you have an exclusive secret it is your exclusive and private property. If you disclose it to another, you both own it. If you disclose it to the public, the public owns it (which includes you). The only controversy with IP is the idea that you can deliver it to the public and yet continue to retain exclusive ownership. Patents and copyright confer commercial privileges, not property rights. The privileges themselves of course may be treated as property relating to IP. IP is the property of each intellect that legitimately receives it.

If you have an exclusive secret it is your exclusive and private property. If you disclose it to another, you both own it. If you disclose it to the public, the public owns it (which includes you).

The only controversy with IP is the idea that you can deliver it to the public and yet continue to retain exclusive ownership.

Patents and copyright confer commercial privileges, not property rights. The privileges themselves of course may be treated as property relating to IP.

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