The notion of property is tied to the notion of ownership. That one individual has the exclusive right to the use of something (tangible or intangible).
The notion of property comes from our need to use aspects of the environment for our survival. Some of us create and use physical tools, or products, others create products in the intellectual realm. In either case, the ability to control the material source and the process of production is linked to our survival.
This is how the notion of property came about, and why having tradable property has been so successful in optimising the allocation of resources. People in a free market make decisions about the value of a resource to them, bargains are made, life and commerce exist.
Initially survival requires property.
Once the concept of property becomes established it allows for commerce to develop.
Commerce can only exist where there is property. As this project matures, we will need to rethink some of our concepts of property, particularly on the intellectual realm, but also in the physical.
I propose limiting the notion of intellectual property in time. I propose that patents and copyright would normally expire after 15 years, unless there were exceptional extenuating circumstances.
I acknowledge the thousands of minds that have contributed, directly and indirectly to getting this Vision2020 project to its current state. Most of those individuals long since dead. To bring this project to completion will require using the lessons learned by millions of people. We all stand on the shoulders of giants, and do our little bit.
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Index Page.