[OT] - does IP exist?

[Alix Pexton]

If the concept of what we now call "IP" had never been established and no one had ever
been compensated in exchange for the time and effort that they expended in creating
something (infinitely copiable or not) then I frankly believe that humans as we call
ourselves today would not have even evolved.

Take the case of cave man Zug...

Zug has an idea (ideas are infinitely copiable) for a better spear tip. In order to make
it he needs to collect enough materials to make it and spend time turning his idea into
a physical object (perhaps even several protottypes). This takes time, time that he would
normally spend hunting in order to feed his family. Zug is convinced his idea is worth
the short term hardship so he stays up late knapping flints etc. Of couse Zug is
worried that his wife and kids (ZJ and Zugette) might go hungry if he is wrong, but if he
is right he will be a better hunter and be able to spend more time with them.

The new spear tip is a success and everyone in the village wants one so Zug makes a new
one for himself and trades the old one for a days worth of food, only Zug's new spear tip
is just a little better than the first. Others can make a poor copy of the original, but
only Zug who had the original idea can improve upon it, so Zug becomes the village's
spear tip making guy, trading spear tips for food and spending his day colecting
materials and fabricating instead of hunting.

Zug now has the time to explain to his son Zug Jnr how to make the new spear tip and
why it is better that the old one and how it can be further developed, the first copy
of the idea.

If no one respected Zug's IP he would not have had the oportunity to further develop
his idea into a product, even going to the effort of making the spear would have put
his family in danger. Society as we know it today only exists because our
productivity exceeds our requirements which gives people enough time to be creative.
Some creativity further boosts our productivity, some is purely artistic and only
benefits indirectly by effecting our sence of well being. It is giving ideas a
tradeable value just the same as physical objects that allows this all to develop.
To say that IP is only an artifact of law is in my opinion nieve.

My apologies for the cave man metaphore...

A...