From http://econtalk.org/
Economist Michele Boldrin argues that copyright and patent are used by the politically powerful to create monopoly and that there are surprisingly few examples in history that demonstrate this monopoly was what drove innovation.
http://www.sfu.ca/cstudies/mpprog/sfubmo_levine.htm
Copyrights and patents have come to be called “intellectual property,” a phrase which suggests that they are much akin to ordinary property. They are not: they are a government grant of monopoly power. The argument in favour of intellectual property must then be that these monopolies provide important offsetting incentives for innovation and creation.
However, all the available evidence suggests that patents and copyrights are a failure, and inhibit innovation and creativity at least as much they encourage it.
In this lively and entertaining lecture, Dr. David Levine documents the history of intellectual property, arguing that the best strategy for stimulating creativity in 21st century society is to eliminate copyrights and patents entirely.
SFU/BMO Bank of Montreal Lecture Series
From March 15, 2010: “Freedomain Radio #1616: “Stephan Kinsella on Intellectual Property”: “This is a Freedomain Radio book club discussion of one of Stephan’s most popular books: ‘Against Intellectual Property’”
Kinsella Intellectual Property discussion on Freedomain Radio Book Club. We did this yesterday, Mar. 20, 2010. It was about an hour and was a nice, intelligent discussion of IP and related libertarian issues.
A reading of Stephan Kinsella’s Against Intellectual Property. Read by Jock Coats.