Neither Intellectual Nor Property

Techdirt's Mike Masnick is writing a series of short articles on topics around intellectual property. His latest focuses on the term itself, exploring the nomenclature people have proposed to describe matter that is neither intellectual nor property. The whole series (starting here) is well worth a read.

Comments

So like Military Intelligence?

[The Ancients]

Actually, anything with that many lawyers has gone way past intellectual and we all know the lawyers end up with more of the property than anyone else...so yes - I'd say he's right.

I better go RTFA now

valuable intellectual property

[rice_burners_suck]

I want to start a band that makes music that is actually not music at all, but poor quality recordings of terrible noises. Something so stupid and so utterly annoying and maddening to listen to that there isn't a single person on the face of the planet that would bother to pirate it even if paid to do so. Not to mention that playing it back would probably damage any good speaker.

Then, I would get some dirty lawyer to represent my band in court, claiming that thousands of people are illegally pirating my valuable intellectual property. I can just see the looks on the faces of the jury when the so-called "music" is played in the court to demonstrate just how valuable said intellectual property is.

Re:valuable intellectual property

[rfunches]

You'll know the IP lawyers are desperate when one of them brings a copyright infringement suit against someone for uploading/distributing John Cage's 4' 33".

When I say "make some", you say "noise"

[tepples]

I want to start a band that makes music that is actually not music at all, but poor quality recordings of terrible noises. A lot of people would cry prior art, holding up a Nine Inch Nails CD. NIN fans would claim that Trent Reznor's music isn't noise and that people should be looking at real noise instead.

Not to mention that playing it back would probably damage any good speaker. Citation needed. I can pipe /dev/random into any decent stereo system and not damage the speakers, as long as the DAC's volume is turned down below half of maximum line level.

Re:When I say "make some", you say "noise"

[Chris Burke]

Citation needed. I can pipe /dev/random into any decent stereo system and not damage the speakers, as long as the DAC's volume is turned down below half of maximum line level.

Dude, /dev/random is so much better when you crank it.

Re:When I say "make some", you say "noise"

[PC and Sony Fanboy]

edit: the music of eminem and the music of 2pac. I don't like either. I couldn't say whether or not I like either of them personally. I don't think I'll ever meet either one. It'd be hard to meet eminem, and much harder to meet 2pac ;)

Re:When I say "make some", you say "noise"

[Pax681]

that racism doesn't necessarily mean one uses racial slurs.

um... yes it does looky here

what you are talking about is BIAS. BIAS indicates a preference to something and therfore against something else. for example i have a BIAS in favour of goth/rock/industrial stuff(amongst many others) and i am BIASED against country/western as it is truly evil!

in fact i have been told that if country/western music is played backwards you get your wife,job,house,car and dog back!

Re:When I say "make some", you say "noise"

[geonik]

I know this /dev/random band you refer to, but I would highly recommend you to also listen to /dev/urandom. The first band actually loses it's originality very quickly and you have to wait for ages until they release their next album, while the second has really unlimited potential!

Re:Why no intellectual property tax?

[Scaba]

Speak for yourself. Here in Philadelphia, we pay a 4.3% pants tax, but only while they're being worn, which is why so many Philadelphians go around pant-less. Stupid pants tax!