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Recently, I came across one of the best things I've ever read on the whole IP topic: Against Intellectual Monopoly: http://www.dklevine.com/general/intellectual/against.htm

Don't be fooled by the shitty site, these are Cambridge professors, they just also put the book online.

It shows lots of amazing examples throughout history where the concept of IP actually hurt business, not helped. One good example: Dickens was heavily copied and sold here in America, because British copyrights didn't apply here. In the UK, his books sold for $6 each; in America, they sold for $0.06 (or so).

He made more money here.



"In the UK, his books sold for $6 each; in America, they sold for $0.06 (or so)"

I wonder how much this fun fact is skewed by the fact that the pound was worth way more than the cheap American paper money during the time (not to mention that a lot of states printed their own money, so it would be quite difficult to compile a relative exchange rate).


I don't remember exactly, as I was borrowing a friend's copy, so I read it pretty quickly.

They cited all their sources, though. I'm assuming that trivial of a mistake wouldn't be made.




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