alt Hacker NewsIt's rather incongruous that you register intellectual property for very little - and have states enforcing your rights for free - while a piece of land pays property taxes.
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> It's rather incongruous that you register intellectual property for very little
It's even more incongruous that you'd have to "register" for your rights. Intellectual property are recognized as an inherent right that doesn't require any registration at all, under the 1886 Berne Convention.
Although the US was not a signatory until 1989.
Creators pay tax on their income.
We all get legal protections for our property.
IPR is a form of incentive for creators in service of betterment of the society (it also could be detrimental like Mein Kempf though). On the other hand real estate does not need such extra incentives. Need or greed is enough.
> while a piece of land pays property taxes.
In some countries taxes are annual.
In the UK you pay taxes when you buy/sell property, or land. You don't need to pay land/property taxes every year.
The enforcement isn't the issue, it's the scarcity.
How often do you see the US enforcing copyrights?
Land is scarce. Also, generally, property taxes are paid to the city/county that makes that land desirable to live in.
The state isn’t enforcing your rights for free - you still have to hire a lawyer and pay legal expenses yourself.
The state is just providing the infrastructure where you are allowed to make a claim, if you choose to do so.
This is like complaining that businesses get to use roads for free - ignoring that we all pay taxes already and built this infrastructure for enabling exactly that purpose.