What Is Intangible Property

Definition

Intangible Property refers to a category of property-norms regarding intangible objects.

vs. Intellectual Property

When using the phrase "Intellectual-Property," many persons are referring to Copyrights, Patents, and Trademarks as currently enforced by Corporations and Governmental-entities.

To reduce conflation and confusion, the term "Intangible-Property" is used to describe an entire category of norms. A specific intangible property norm may be productive or destructive towards several ends, and the author encourages readers to consider specific-norms in that context.

Intangible Property is not…

Intangible-Property is a category of norms, or behaviors. The term/phrase/concept of "intangible property" is not meant to be….

  • …a specific set of norms.
  • …a value judgement of "good" or "bad."
  • …a "thing" that exists in a physical sense.
  • …equivalent to "Intellectual Property."
  • …a natural-right, or something 'special' written into the laws of nature.

Property

The term/concept of 'property' and 'ownership' follow a similar model; there is no such thing as true-property, but rather many forms of property norms have existed through history, law, common-law, and (broadly speaking) human interaction.

  • For example, the property of Kings and Lords is indeed one possible property-model, but not a property-model supported by this author or most libertarians.

When discussing a very specific form of property, it may be useful to include an adjective specifying the specific property theory, such as Lockean-property, or libertarian-property.

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