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Loading... Against Intellectual Monopoly (2008)by Michele Boldrin, David K. Levine
   Top Five Books of 2015 (200) Top Five Books of 2016 (198) No current Talk conversations about this book.  fulner | Jul 14, 2016 |  Boldrin and Levine expose the lies of copyrights, patents, and other IP laws. Although not the most exciting read, it does do a wonderful job at presenting the case against IPLs and how society would be better off without them. In my opinion, their solutions don't go far enough, but are a step in the right direction. For any economist, politician, or socially concerned individual, this is a worthwhile read. A few highlights: The Wright Brothers were NOT first in flight. Patents actually DECREASE innovation. The medical industry does NOT need patents to make money. Many companies make a profit by not patenting and actually have "PatentLefts" which make it illegal to patent anything related to the product (see Red Hat and Linux). (  ) timmillr | Mar 20, 2011 | Clear, well written, and convincing. ( ) Amtep | Oct 17, 2008 | no reviews | add a review
'Intellectual property' - patents and copyrights - have become controversial. We witness teenagers being sued for 'pirating' music - and we observe AIDS patients in Africa dying due to lack of ability to pay for drugs that are high priced to satisfy patent holders. Are patents and copyrights essential to thriving creation and innovation - do we need them so that we all may enjoy fine music and good health? Across time and space the resounding answer is: No. So-called intellectual property is in fact an 'intellectual monopoly' that hinders rather than helps the competitive free market regime that has delivered wealth and innovation to our doorsteps. This book has broad coverage of both copyrights and patents and is designed for a general audience, focusing on simple examples. The authors conclude that the only sensible policy to follow is to eliminate the patents and copyright systems as they currently exist. No library descriptions found. |
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 Google Books — Loading...GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)346.04Social sciences Law Private Law Property LawLC ClassificationRatingAverage: (4.07)
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Wikipedia in English (7)
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We've been told since a young age that patents helped usher in the industrial age, and should have similar positive effects on the information age. But is it true?
Levine and Boldrin argue that its not. Not only is government granted monopoly bad for individual freedom, but it hurts the economy and is one of the biggest detriments to moving to the next stage of human development.
I cannot recommend this enough. Whether you think the IP debate is settled, whether you've already picked your side, or whether you think its all boring, I think this book will open your eyes to a bigger picture, that is surprisingly thrilling given the subject, the authors and the published (Cambridge University Press) (