[zyqwert]

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my argument is totally marketcentric? how are you being reminded of socialism.


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I'm sorry I made my point badly, again.

Here is a socialist who wants to have the government set the price of food, damn the market:

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Among other things Chavez addressed on his Television program Alo Presidente (Hello President) was the new Law Against Hoarding and Speculation of foods under the price control system, due to be passed today. Chavez said this law would enable the government to take stiff measures against hoarders and speculators, which would include the possibility of large fines, and prison sentences of between 2 and 6 years.

“Reflect,” Chavez urged agricultural producers, “as I will not allow this to go on,” he warned, saying “speculation, the hoarding of foods, is a crime, an attack on the health of the people, the health of the nation.”

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He isn't happy with the market price of food, and he's going to put people in prison to correct the market.


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I think your post suffers from this notion that reproduction has zero marginal cost, therefore the product comes at zero cost.

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There are lots of people willing to redistribute digital content at zero cost. How far are you willing to go to stop them?

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instead the fact of the matter is that these ideas are largely very costly. however these costs are discovery costs. however, the marginal cost is near zero for reproducion. but if you set the price at zero, there is no incentive to create ideas to reproduce at that cost.

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I don't deny the expense of making the first copy. I don't set the price at zero. The market sets the price at zero because many people are willing to redistribute for free. You want the government to enforce another price that is far from the market price, just like socialists (but in the other direction). It's not that I think protecting IP is bad, I don't think protecting digital IP is possible -- zero is a big number. Those who disagree dream up expensive and invasive schemes to do the impossible, and society suffers.

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ideas are the product of a person's investment in their own human capital. how is that not something they own?

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Yes, and when I steal your idea your mind isn't wiped blank, you still own the idea.

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other forms of IP like trademarks i hope are discussed at well. If an ACist is against trademarking, what does it think of fraudlent companies who try to benefit from other companies reputations by ripping off their products. like the fraudulent money orders the Nigerian scammers make.

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Protecting IP for tangible goods is different, because it is possible.