Not up publicly yet.
Stephan Kinsella is a pioneer on the topic of intellectual property (IP). His arguments against IP also carry over to the cyberspace. Can you even “own” Bitcoin? After all, it is just a number on an elliptic curve…
“Q – can you have a valid contract over things that don’t exist?
and especially if there’s no property title being transferred?
like it’s buying the idea of a kilometre? or a ‘rare sat’?”
Okay here’s how others might say: there is no thing to transfer so the contract is null and void, or something like that. That is because they think of contract as some kind of independent thing—a relationship, a legal “obligation.” And that one of the effects of a contract is that someone gets title to something that they agreed to, etc etc. This view of contract also thinks of the parties as being obligated to each other, and if they don’t perform their obligation they are in breach and owe damages, etc. [continue reading…]
Q: If I sign something that says “this person is allowed to kill me under xyz circumstances and he is owed $10 from my estate if he fulfills this” and, assuming I never renege, those circumstances arise and the person kills me, would the thing I signed be a valid defense against murder charges in a free society and/or an enforceable claim against the estate?
Kinsella:
I think in a free society, it would be a defense because it would indicate consent. (And yes, the estate owed the $10.)
Of course, in today’s world, it will still be murder [continue reading…]
Podcast (kinsella-on-liberty): Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:41:18 — 92.2MB)
Kinsella on Liberty Podcast: Episode 429.
A facebook friend from Brazil, Bruno Pires, corresponded with me about some various issues and we decided to discuss it for a podcast episode. We discuss a variety of issues.
See his promoted VPN sponsor Aria VPN.
Podcast (kinsella-on-liberty): Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:28:06 — 80.7MB)
Kinsella on Liberty Podcast: Episode 428.
I was a guest on Episode 316 of The Bob Murphy Show, entitled “Stephan Kinsella on Rothbard’s Contributions to Legal Theory.” Bob’s shownotes: “Stephan joins Bob to discuss his new book, Legal Foundations of a Free Society. They cover Rothbard’s contributions to legal theory, as well as Bob and Stephan’s differing entry points into libertarianism.”
Podcast (kinsella-on-liberty): Play in new window | Download (164.8MB)
Kinsella on Liberty Podcast: Episode 427.
Yesterday (April 10, 2024) I participated in Strings Attached: Tracing the Global Systems that Bind, 62nd Annual International Affairs Symposium, Lewis & Clark College, Portland Oregon, Debate 5: Pirates and Patents. Debate Topic: Is international intellectual property regulation a necessary protection for innovators or a form of modern imperialism?
My opponent was Pieter Cleppe. My notes are appended below.
We got along well and had a nice dinner after the debate.
(Unofficial iphone Audio (mp3))
Podcast (kinsella-on-liberty): Play in new window | Download (Duration: 2:00:25 — 109.7MB)
Kinsella on Liberty Podcast, Episode 426.
Matthew Sands of the Nations of Sanity project, which aims to promote the Non-Aggression Principle as a universal peace agreement, and I discussed various issues including: immigration and open borders, and so on.
(See previous episode with Matthew, KOL372 | Discussing Contract Theory, Restitution, Punishment, with Matthew Sands of Nations of Sanity and KOL362 | California Gold #6, with Matt Sands: Defining Libertarianism, Anarchism and Voluntaryism.)
Related links:
- Switzerland, Immigration, Hoppe, Raico, Callahan
- A Simple Libertarian Argument Against Unrestricted Immigration and Open Borders, LewRockwell.com, September 1, 2005
- Van Dun on Freedom versus Property and Hostile Encirclement
Stephan Kinsella, “Patents, Pharma, Government: The Unholy Alliance,” Brownstone Institute (April 2024)
Patents, Pharma, Government: The Unholy Alliance
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The Problem with Intellectual Property
The unholy alliance between Big Pharma and the FDA and Federal Government is truly breathtaking to behold. Unfortunately, its nature is so arcane and obscure that only a few notice this, other than those who benefit from it and keep their lips shut. To unpack this we must explore a few separate but interrelated issues. [continue reading…]
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