Recommended podcasts:       Not a Good Idea   { 1 comment }  The
usual apology for IP (“intellectual property”) privilege is that
effort has to be rewarded in an advanced society if justice is
to be made to creators and producers.  Interesting: Marxists say
the very same thing. They claim that previous effort (“frozen
labor”) is that which gives value to economic goods. Well,
Objectivists are doing the same in a more fashionable — yet
equally flawed — way. They claim economic value is derived from
frozen…thoughts. Yes, frozen thoughts. See, Objectivists
consider labor performed inside our heads1 the source of
economic value, and thus being the very core of value creation
it has to be rightfully protected at all costs, right?  Wrong.
The source of value is the customer’s valuation of said good
during the time of sale.  Yes, ladies and gentlement, it is
sales (that mundane and sordid act) that which generates an
income in a free society (i.e. the division of labor). Sales are
the only way in which demonstrated