Copying is not theft[1].

I know Copyrights != Patents, but the whole idea of intellectual property should be abandoned. It is born out of rent seeking and any benefits it may have were never justified by the costs of the patent system[2].

If you think the patent system needs to be fixed, rather than abolished, please reconsider.

[1]: https://questioncopyright.org/

[2]: https://www.amazon.com/Against-Intellectual-Monopoly-Michele...

>To characterize it that way is a very extreme, niche position.

Except it isn't, it's that most people are oblivious.

https://www.amazon.com/Against-Intellectual-Monopoly-Michele...

America is a heavily indoctrinated society, all capitalist states education systems nourish a pro capitalist and pro corporate rights education in their education systems. They are engineered to produce idiotic citizens who don't think for themselves and hand all power to the already rich. Because most people can't believe their society is filled with bullshit.

Patents must be abolished.

Recommended reading: https://www.amazon.com/Against-Intellectual-Monopoly-Michele...

Check out this book by two professors from Cambridge: http://www.amazon.com/Against-Intellectual-Monopoly-Michele-...

They've also made it available online, of course. http://www.dklevine.com/general/intellectual/against.htm

If you're truly interested in this question, you should read Against Intellectual Monopoly, available for purchase here[0] and reading for free online here[1]. It's written by two professors from Cambridge? It's the most thorough discussion of intellectual property law I've ever read.

0: http://www.amazon.com/Against-Intellectual-Monopoly-Michele-...

1: http://www.micheleboldrin.com/research/aim.html

There's plenty of academic studies now that show that pirating and digital distribution don not hurt economically the developer but only the "middle men". See Boldrin and Levine's "Against Intellectual Monopoly" to have some numbers:

http://www.amazon.com/Against-Intellectual-Monopoly-Michele-... Free to download here: http://www.micheleboldrin.com/research/aim.html

It's time we move away from the stereotype "if people download my stuff, I lose money". Greatest majority of those who download would not be your customers.