Mises Wire

Elaborations on Randian IP

Elaborations on Randian IP
Mises Wire Stephan Kinsella

As I noted dudderday on Lew's blog, an Objectivist blog claimed that "Greg Perkins has written a very powerful critique of the libertarian opposition to Intellectual Property rights for the February issue of Axiomatic. I don't think it will shut the libertarians up, but it will put their arguments to rest." Now Perkins writes me to inform me the article is out. But you must have a subscription to read it, so all I can see so far is the introduction--which seems to be a fair summary of my IP approach, before starting to predictably veer into the standard Randian line that one can't really talk about IP rights without first laying out a whole theory of individual rights, similar to the Randian claim that libertarianism is unsupportable without the entire remainder of the corpus of Rand's ideas, including the view that capes are cool and Beethoven is "evil," apparently. Dunno if Perkins knows but I have actually tried to set forth a justification of rights, albeit, not in my article on IP. Anyway, for now, the rest of Perkins's arguments, in almost Galambosian fashion (I kid, I kid!) remain hidden.

***

Update: Perkins's Don't Steal This Article! is now online.

All Rights Reserved ©
Support Liberty

The Mises Institute exists solely on voluntary contributions from readers like you. Support our students and faculty in their work for Austrian economics, freedom, and peace.

Donate today
Group photo of Mises staff and fellows