Fellas!
I am also not against going off-list with this.
Libertarian property theory is not wishful thinking. It is deductive reasoning,
based on some self-evident axioms. I would suggest reading Hoppe on that.
Like this book: http://mises.org/document/431
First chapter logically shows why physical property is justified. This is not
arbitrary.
My short article goes in the same direction, but in a more primitive manner,
perhaps:
http://www.louigiverona.ru/?page=projects&s=writings&t=philosophy&a=philosophy_property
So the argument that IP is not property has nothing to do with wishful thinking,
it has to do with what is property and why do we need such a concept.
You might not agree with the argumentation, of course, but I left links so that, if you
would want, you can go through them.
"I see plenty of arguments for abolishing copyright on the grounds that
it restricts fulfillment of desires - why not abolish desire on the
grounds that it restricts true freedom of choice. The two seem about as
plausible as each other to me right now."
My argument has nothing to do with desires, though. My argument is that IP is not genuine
property and that "ideas" cannot be property at all. (I give reasons in the article,
ideas are no scarce, they do not posses the property of rivalrousness).
And that any IP always ends up violating physical property rights of others.
In the end, I argue, it always comes down to someone taking away or trying to control
physical property that belongs to you.
L.V.