Via his own blog, I am directed to Mr Coates' piece at the Adam Smith Institute blog. Here's the first paragraph:
Intellectual property rights – better thought of as intellectual monopoly rights – are an unnecessary evil. They are unnecessary because all their stated, utilitarian aims can be achieved by other means. They are an evil because granting artificial rights to non-property restricts everyone else’s property rights. They are more likely to be used to stifle the creativity, innovation, and emulation that underpins technological and cultural advance; and they concentrate wealth and power in the hands of privileged non-creators more interested in milking selected others’ efforts.Does he succeed in his case? Can he justify these opening assertions? Read on to discover...
