[mmbt0ne]

First, I would like to say that while I concede that enforcement of audio and visual IP is very difficult, I won't take the step to say that it is unenforcable. Also, I don't think that this is justification for giving up on the attempt to protect it.

As for the two claims that I need to justify:

1) While I hate giving away anything, I will say that I begin to have a much more serious problem with IP being unprotected when we extend from outside media into the realm of patents, copyrights, and trademarks. Companies' relative advantages in the market come from the ability to see a return on research & design using the best people, and the ability to market their products. Without protections for these two things, I don't see a competitive advantage for a company to invest in such markets.


2) This has to do with theft. I feel like profitting off of work that someone else did should not be allowed. Of course this will get us into a slippery slope about what counts in this scenario. There is certainly knowledge in the public domain that is used by many different companies in whatever ways they see fit. However, I think it is different using the idea "150 workers is the maximum that can work together well as a team" and the idea "using these different chemicals in this way can produce a drug that helps with X."

Similarly, if I create a company, someone else should not be able to capitalize on the work I have done by using the same, or even a similar, name or design on packaging.