# "Intellectual Property"

"Intellectual property" (IP, not to be [confused](often_confused.md) with [IP address](ip_address.md)) is the frantic and twisted [capitalist](capitalism.md) idea establishing that people should be able to own [information](information.md) (such as text, presentation style, songs or technological knowledge) and that it should be treated in ways similar to physical property because apparently there would otherwise be too little capitalism in society and "there is never enough capitalism". For example [patents](patent.md) are one demonstration of intellectual property which allow an inventor or discoverer of an idea to *own* it and be able to limit its use, charge fees for using it and legally bully anyone daring to not conform for whatever conditions he came up with, or even to prevent anyone from using the idea altogether, just because. [Copyright](copyright.md) is another form of IP, one that's among the most harmful ones today, and along with patents the most relevant one in the area of technology. However, IP encompasses many other subtypes of this kind of "property" such as [trademarks](trademark.md), trade dress, plant varieties etc. IP is an **arbitrarily invented grant of monopoly** on information, i.e. artificial limit imposed on something that is otherwise naturally free. Only very few other ideas in history reach this level of stupidity, most people with brain oppose it, see e.g. http://harmful.cat-v.org/economics/intellectual_property/.

IP exists to benefit [corporations](corporation.md), it artificially limits the natural [freedom of information](information_freedom.md) and aims to eliminate [freedom](freedom.md) and potential competition threatening the IP owners, it fuels [consumerism](consumerism.md) (for example a company can force deletion of old version of its program in order to [force](update_culture.md) users to buy a new version), it helps sustain malicious features in programs (by forbidding any study and modifications of [proprietary](proprietary.md) programs) and forces reinventing wheels which is extremely energy and resource wasting, whose side effect (or rather one of many) is of course destroying the whole [Earth](earth.md). **IP creates [artificial scarcity](artificial_scarcity.md)**, i.e. in a world where any information once created would be abundant, available to everyone forevermore, IP stops the abundance from happening so as to give rise to a new "market", [bullshit](bullshit.md) businesses and [slavery](work.md) such as various IP law firms, patent offices, brand protections and databases, copyright verification for legal processes, [DRM](drm.md) technology and so on. Without IP everyone would be happy, able to study, share, improve, [remix](remix_culture.md) and combine existing technology and art into new and better things for others to enjoy and build upon. But is it really surprising that this is exactly what the overlords don't want?

Only idiots defend IP -- basically just [capitalists](capitalism.md). They give absolutely invalid arguments like "but without IP there would be no progress" etc. Of course there would be [progress](progress.md), progress can't be stopped even if you try. Even knowing they're the lowest form of life, it's still baffling how retarded capitalist are.

Many people protest against further sustaining the concept of IP -- either wanting to abandon the idea altogether, as [we](lrs.md) do, or at least arguing for significant relaxation of the insanely strict and aggressive forms of IP that now destroy our society. Of course this bears no fruit because the defenders are rich. Movements such as [free software](free_software.md) and [free culture](free_culture.md) have come into existence in protest of IP laws. Of course, capitalists don't give a shit. It can be [expected](future.md) the IP [cancer](cancer.md) will be reaching new heights and yet more extreme forms very soon, for example the "protection" will become perpetual and extended to cover even mere thoughts in one's brain (thinking will be monitored and people charged for thinking about ideas owned by corporations).

It must be noted that as of 2020 **it is not possible to avoid the IP shenanigans**. Even though we can eliminate most of the harmful stuff (for now) with [licenses](license.md) and [waivers](waiver.md), there are many things that may be impossible to address or posing considerable dangers, e.g. trademark, personal rights or patent troll attacks. In some countries (US) it is illegal to make free programs that try to circumvent [DRM](drm.md). Some countries make it explicitly impossible to e.g. waive copyright. It is impossible to safely check whether your creation violates on someone else's IP. There exists [shit](shit.md) such as [moral rights](moral_rights.md) that may exist even if copyright doesn't apply.

## See Also

- [illegal number](illegal_number.md)