MFers, > How does the MoQ evaluate the idea of > "intellectual property"?
Rick's too thorough preface to his topic-question has somewhat spoilt this month's discussion! And now he's chastising us for not contributing :) To reiterate what he said, a high quality intellectual idea needs to be made freely available so that its intrinsic value is maximised across society, yet the incentive for invention is reduced if the inventor is not handsomely rewarded. Our system of patent law attempts to strike a balance between the two, whereby an inventor is said to own his idea for awhile during which time other parties are required to license it from him, and after which the idea is set free to the public at large. >From the perspective of the MOQ, the system is said to be immoral in the short term, when the dissemination of the idea is hampered by the disincentive to pay licensing fees in the interest of concentrating wealth. Here DQ (the freedom the idea deserves) and an intellectual pattern (the idea itself), are prostituted by a social pattern (wealth). After the patent expires, the idea is free (on more than one level), is no longer considered property, and is moral. Of course, this freedom has the proviso that the idea will not harm society. On this basis I think the MOQ would argue that patent and copywrite laws and the notion of 'intellectual property' are a form of evil and should be abolished. Whether this is a necessary evil or not is another issue and since such complications and moral complexities are not generally explored in Pirsig's writing, I will settle with this as the answer the MOQ would give. Glenn __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? New and Improved Yahoo! Mail - Send 10MB messages! http://promotions.yahoo.com/new_mail MOQ.ORG - http://www.moq.org Mail Archive - http://alt.venus.co.uk/hypermail/moq_focus/ MF Queries - [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe from moq_focus follow the instructions at: http://www.moq.org/mf/subscribe.html
