Laws regarding intellectual property may be an invention of the state,
but the idea behind IP is not.
Example:
I paint a scene that is wholely a work of my imagination (IE something
that doesn't occur naturally, the only source of inspiration would be
my painting). I refuse to allow anyone else to paint a copy of it.
Someone does, I beat them up. The state is not enforcing this, I am.
In your example, what if company B has 50 armed gunmen, and you (as
independent artist) only have one (or none)? How is your IP enforced?
In a fictional world, does it resort to megacorps sponsors who, through the
equivalent of international treaties, enforce it for you? We're back to
governments... Outside such a protection racket, we might only have the
altruistic scientists who invent because "this invention should be in all
homes in the world!"
-
Eric Funk
"Knowledge Brings Fear" -- Motto of Mars University, Futurama
_______________________________________________
GurpsNet-L mailing list <[email protected]>
http://mail.sjgames.com/mailman/listinfo/gurpsnet-l
