Two points against Intellectual property laws

[kniper]

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I said its not completely arbitrary. I think that they chose a bright-line approach (i.e. 20 yrs as opposed to a more calculated term for every kind of invention or whatever) because of the ease of administrability.

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Is 19 years objectively too short? Is 21 years objectively too long?

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no, but 15 might be, 25 might be too long. also consider that sometimes you wont get a patent right for 2 years after filings, and that might be a quick turn around. So the filing period itself is arbitrary. the patent system isnt perfect, but it tries under the circumstances.

are you seriously going to quibble over a few years? and even if you say its "arbitrary," is it unreasonably arbitrary? probably not.