Brad Alexander writes: > The thing I don't understand is that the content producers bang on > about "intellectual property" which, if I am understanding correctly > (and I believe I am) is the *content*.
"Intellectual property" is a right established by statute. In the case of copyright it is the exclusive right to create copies of a protected work. Under copyright law a copy is a _tangible object_. > ...why do I have to buy the *same* IP every time the industry decides > to change formats? You didn't buy the IP. That would mean that you acquired the exclusive right to make copies. You bought a _copy_: a tangible thing. The copyright owner retained the right to create more copies[1]. It's all about copies and the creation and distribution thereof. Copies are _things_. That includes a copy on your hard disk: the disk is a tangible thing and the copy is that portion of it on which the copy resides. IP is about abstract rights. When you acquire a copy of a work you do not acquire any of those rights: just the thing. Quit thinking about copies as immaterial abstractions. [1] The copyright owner may or may not have granted you some limited rights to make copies under some limited circumstances as part of a contract entered into when you purchased the copy from them. In addition, under some circumstances the USA copyright statute grants you limited rights to make copies. -- John Hasler -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org Archive: http://lists.debian.org/87zk6d8g5i....@thumper.dhh.gt.org