> > you falsely assume that "millions of pieces of valuable IPR" can be > > created out of thin air. > > I make no such assumptions. It would certainly help things, for example, > if you were to donate your IPR to them. Which is better, that I donate my > IPR for them to sell, or that you take my IPR away so that it has zero > value to everybody? there are so many false assumptions here that it's difficult to respond at all. most people do not seek solely to maximize their holdings at the expense of others. "your IPR" could do far more good if it were given away for everyone to use, than if it were sold for someone's exclusive use. the fact that it would have "zero value" on the market doesn't mean that it would have "zero value" in any reasonable sense. gcc costs nothing, but it has (indirectly) benefitted millions, and its value is immense. at any rate, I'm not proposing to "take your IPR away" - only to limit the current scope of IPR somewhat to better "promote the progress of science and useful arts" while avoiding some of the abuses we're currently seeing. there will still be a need to protect the investment made by content creators and to provide them with a means of profiting from that investment. Keith