"Corporations are NOT people." Correct, but limited. Most people who can see more than ten minutes into the future invest their money in corporations. (And if you say "I don't have any corporate investments", what do you think the bank does with your money when you deposit it? Why are they paying you interest for your savings?) Anyways, you are indirectly harming every Joe Schmo who has money in that company. Not harming them much, perhaps, but enough that you ought to climb down off your high horse. If you're really serious about "Anything that damages a major corporation and proves a good point in a non-violent fashion is forwarding the cause." then I suggest you trash your current hardware and never buy again from the evil Apple corporate giant. That'll show 'em.
Scientific ideas are patented all the time. If scientific innovation were not patentable, industry wouldn't spend money on research. Publicly funded research results are patented too. Universities can hold patents on processes and advancements. They then license them to private industry and use the proceeds to fund further research. Even if the idea is published, it can be patented (I think that the patent has to come first). Government funded (or even privately funded) research that has security implications can be classified, which is an even deeper black hole than a patent. "Free" science would stifle innovation and competition. Why spend money developing a lucrative idea or process if it becomes public property?
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"Corporations are NOT people." Correct, but limited. Most people who can see more than ten minutes into the future invest their money in corporations. (And if you say "I don't have any corporate investments", what do you think the bank does with your money when you deposit it? Why are they paying you interest for your savings?) Anyways, you are indirectly harming every Joe Schmo who has money in that company. Not harming them much, perhaps, but enough that you ought to climb down off your high horse. If you're really serious about "Anything that damages a major corporation and proves a good point in a non-violent fashion is forwarding the cause." then I suggest you trash your current hardware and never buy again from the evil Apple corporate giant. That'll show 'em.
Scientific ideas are patented all the time. If scientific innovation were not patentable, industry wouldn't spend money on research. Publicly funded research results are patented too. Universities can hold patents on processes and advancements. They then license them to private industry and use the proceeds to fund further research. Even if the idea is published, it can be patented (I think that the patent has to come first). Government funded (or even privately funded) research that has security implications can be classified, which is an even deeper black hole than a patent. "Free" science would stifle innovation and competition. Why spend money developing a lucrative idea or process if it becomes public property?