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139 sats \ 5 replies \ @SimpleStacker 14 Apr \ parent \ on: Is intellectual property legitimate? AskSN
What would be his response to the typical refrain that without IP laws, you'd discourage innovation and artistic expression? Voluntary contracts only work if other people can't steal or copy your work.
In any case, I'm not convinced that the benefit of eliminating IP laws wouldn't outweigh the potential costs on disincentivizing innovation.
It just seems to me a lot of the best scientists and artists are intrinsically motivated anyway. And that a lot of slop is invented to take advantage of IP laws.
What would be his response to the typical refrain that without IP laws, you'd discourage innovation and artistic expression?
The empirical evidence doesn't support such an assertion and the burden of proof should be on them to prove it does what they claim, before infringing on everyone else's property rights.
Check out Against Intellectual Monopoly for that argument. Stephen's Against Intellectual Property also covers the empirical case, but adds more to the philosophical case, which he was more interested in.
If it's a topic that interests you, you can find any of the hundreds of interviews, debates, and pods that Stephen's done on the topic, pretty easily.
I'd also suggest you think about whether the disincentivization case even makes sense from an auction theory standpoint. I've never worked it through myself, but just casually thinking about it, it's not clear that the current system of all-pay auctions is better in terms of expected payoffs. All-pay auctions reduce the amount contestants are willing to invest in the first place and yet still manage to often generate social losses. We might actually be getting much less far in intellectual production than we otherwise would and at greater cost.
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Interesting. I'm inclined to believe you. Sadly, I don't have time for another rabbit hole right now haha, but i'll bookmark this comment for future reference.
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This one is quite the rabbit hole. I was pretty obsessed with the topic about a decade ago.
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What empirical evidence doesn't support the common sense logic that creators receiving income from the use of their ideas are rewarded and incentivised by IP?
Just saying the empirical evidence does not support something is not empirical evidence- it is pure BS.
Where is the empirical evidence that IP laws disincentivize creative work?
SILENCE!
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Innovation thrives when it can build freely upon what's already there.
Look at FOSS.
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