That is a false induction. If Aajonus for example wants to print up books or press dvd's (his own property) or have a publishing company do it on his behalf, and then sell me that book or dvd, that is great, and then I own that dvd or that book and can do whatever the hell I please with it, including copying it and selling those copies, provided I don't violate someone else' physical property rights in the process. This is where people want to cry 'foul!', but do you really think there aren't enough intelligent and conscientious people out there that if they find the product to be useful and worthy, that they're not going to send some money to Aajonus if they're financially capable? There are plenty of people out there who see money as no object and who want to see that author produce more work and thusly will send that person money. Perhaps you won't see pop stars making zillions of dollars like britney spears, but then again, maybe you will. Can you imagine the climate of creativity that would be promoted by people having to produce something truly worthy of competing for voluntary dollars? Intellectual property stymies this creativity. When I'm filthy rich (in the next couple years) you can bet lots of that money will be going to aajonus, lots of it to jon young, lots to my favorite local musicians and lots of it to my favorite local artists, because I believe that it will be a net benefit to the world if these people are able to make a living continuing to do what they do. And there are plenty of people of like mind out there.
But the most important reason for not supporting intellectual property rights (if we are to pretend to have property rights at all) is that it gives other people power over my property. What the fuck do you mean I can't copy this song using my computer and my cd/dvd/mp3/external hard drive, etc. What do you mean I can't copy this page of the book I purchased using MY copy machine and MY paper and MY ink. That is bullshit. And if people were truly taught how to think instead of simply regurgitate what they've been brainwashed with since birth, then that would be so obvious that we wouldn't even be here having this discussion.
I absolutely think that if a work merits it (based on what the reader/listener/viewer thinks) then they will pay, if they can. Every sunday morning when I go to my local cafe to listen to new orleans style live jazz, I put money in the tip jar, not because I feel obligated (these guys are getting paid just to be there and play) but because I support what they do, want to encourage it, and want to see them come back next week. However I don't go to that same cafe when there is a cover for the band, because I don't know how much of that cover goes to the band and I also don't feel it is a reasonable price (unless it is a band I really want to see in which case I DO pay the price).
I don't necessarily even believe in property rights, I truly believe 'everything is permissible' as I told Tyler recently, but if that is what we're going to agree to pretend, then let's have it be consistent and sound, not making arbitrary exceptions. Our legal system is a farce also. For a legal code to become so complicated that the common person can't understand it without becoming an attorney themselves, is insanity. Not to mention the fact that we are treated in court In Rem (as things) instead of In Personam (as a person). Don't believe me? look on your drivers license, is it all caps or only first letter caps? It's all caps because you are considered to be a government employee instead of the other way around.
