Originally posted by Carrikature
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I think people should get credit for discovering something like the gene that causes green eyes or something, but they shouldn't have exclusive rights to that gene so that somehow "own" the gene itself. If they come up with a way to change the gene to create blue eyes, for instance, then they should have the IP rights for that process though because it is something done creatively with their discovery.
The reason governments give out patents and copyrights is to foster creativity and captitalism. If no matter what you invented or created you had no rights to it and anyone could just take what you did and resell it, or use it for themselves, then you basically end up with a society where there is no incentive for creativity. It is the same problem of capitalism vs socialism/welfare. If the government takes all the benefits away from those who work and gives it to everyone equally in some sort of welfare state, then you end up with nobody working and everyone sitting around waiting for their government paycheck.
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