On Friday, July 16, 2010, drew Roberts wrote:
On Thursday 15 July 2010 19:11:22 you wrote:
I don't normally contribute to the
"intellectual property" vrs
"freedom" threads ... but maybe it is time :)
My simple minded beliefs includes that a "creator" has certain rights
to his creation. If he/she wants to share (freely) with the rest of
the world, great. If they think that only people who pay a certain sum
of money can share it, that's their right as well.
Well, I think it is clear that people are using the word "right" to mean
different things. Are you meaning what people call Natural rights, or are
you meaning Legal Rights which some call privileges?
Are these rights you speak of something someone is justified in using force
against another person to secure? Do all natural rights justify the use of
force to secure? Legal rights? (Speaking person to person, not state
enforced.)
A majority of us agreed to some extent with a set of rights that should be
applicable to all human beings. We even have a written document with the list
of those rights.
"Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and
inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of
freedom, justice and peace in the world..."
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights
http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr
Being on topic with the subject of this thread ...
Article 27.
* (1) Everyone has the right freely to participate in the cultural life of
the community, to enjoy the arts and to share in scientific advancement and
its benefits.
* (2) Everyone has the right to the protection of the moral and material
interests resulting from any scientific, literary or artistic production of
which he is the author.
Regards,
Pedro