Obviously IP would be abolished under socialism, but would you support getting rid of it as a reform under capitalism?

  • Woly [any]
    ·
    4 years ago

    If the question is whether or not intellectual property should exist while capitalism is the law of the land, yes, I think it is necessary in some limited form. Obviously drug patents can go out the window, but artistic creations should have some form of protection since they're especially vulnerable to plagiarism and tied directly to an artist's ability to feed themselves. In a perfect world plagiarism wouldn't matter, because all art would be created for pleasure and not for survival.

    • weshallovercum [any]
      hexagon
      ·
      4 years ago

      The problem with that logic is that it requires a clear definition of what is "artistic creation". Also, it would mean that massive companies like Disney would be able to enjoy IP protections while tech companies wouldnt. I think a wholesale elimination of IP laws with no conditions would be good

      • Woly [any]
        ·
        edit-2
        4 years ago

        If it's a binary question of should there be intellectual property laws or shouldn't there be, then yes, for the sake of everyone with treatable illnesses I agree that it should be abolished. But if IP law can be changed, not just eliminated, then I'd say that there are instances in a capitalist system where protecting intellectual property is valuable. It doesn't have to be forever, and it doesn't have to apply to everyone, but IP does can help certain people. Look at what happened with Bill Watterson; I think that if someone wants to protect their creations from being grossly commoditized by complete strangers they should be able to.