[pp.int.general] "Intellectual property"

[Fedor Khod'kov]

> Look, saying that "intellectual property" is a wrong term because it has
> nothing to do with "property" is as ridiculous as saying that a "guinea pig"
> is a wrong term because these creatures have nothing to do with pigs! Well, of
> course guinea pigs have nothing to do with pigs: that's why we call them
> GUINEA pigs - to differentiate from pigs.

Saying what "guinea pig" is wrong term because these creatures have
nothing to do with pigs is not ridiculous -- it's a perfectly valid
statement.  The problem is -- how important is the fact that "guinea
pigs" are not pigs.  If it's important fact, then you should be careful
to note it every time you speak about "guinea pigs" -- and probably it's
better to reject the term entirely.  If it's not so important -- well,
then it's probably better to ignore the problem.  For me and you, it's
not the issue, but for some biologists (and probably for followers of
certain religions), it is important to know whether "guinea pigs" is
really pigs or not.

Speaking of copyrights as "property right" causes problems to pirates:
copyright lobbyists go further, labelling file-sharers (who violate
copyright) as "thieves" (i.e. violators of property right) and those who
support file-sharing and want to change copyright law to make
file-sharing legal -- as "communist fanatics" who "don't respect
property rights" and want to abolish it.  It confuses people, and
confusion should be stopped from spreading.  The most straightforward
way to do so is to reject the term "intellectual property".

> And of course intellectual property has nothing to do with property in
> conventional understanding of this term: but that why we call it
> INTELLECTUAL property - to differentiate it from just property!

So, why call it "intellectual PROPERTY" -- if it "has nothing to do with
property in conventional understanding of this term"?  Just because
copyright lobby invented this propaganda term and promotes it?  Or to
make Boris happy and prevent him from insulting people on this list?
First reason doesn't seems valid for me; and I easily fixed the second
by redirecting his mails to /dev/null.