Information, or ideas have slowly started to take place as another form of property, and its

price turned out way more valuable than expected. As technology grew more advanced, inventors

have transcended the physical limit of creation. Anything could be made anywhere, and the only

limit has become the barrier of imagination. Literally any idea could be made possible, and the

better it was the more valuable it became. In an age where one’s ideas became worth so much,

intellectual property rights became the official system to protect one’s ideas and creativity. But it

created a situation when one person could own an idea and use it for themselves. Intellectual

property rights (IPR) may have closed the gate to a branch of whole new inventions where only one

winner takes all.

Intellectual property rights may seem like a good way to encourage innovators to develop

new ideas, but it also has many side effects as a cost. A monopoly is naturally created with IPR, and

even if it isn’t just one company that dominates the market, an oligopoly system will form eventually.

This situation only becomes an obstacle for the economy to operate at full efficiency and

discourages competition, making it to against the market system. Smaller companies won’t even

have a chance to compete with them no matter how innovative and creative their ideas are.

Not only in economic aspects, IPR also discourages the development of new ideas. If an

idea ‘belongs’ to one individual, it takes away others’ chances of developing new ideas from it. Ideas

and inspirations don’t just spring up from nowhere, they are mostly created, influenced by others.

Also, this problem is worsened by the very long periods for IPR activation. Normally lasting 70 years
after the creator’s death, the idea is nearly fossilized by the time it’s finally publicized. And

companies really don’t die, so company owned ideas would mostly be dominated by a select few

individuals forever.

Noticing the many problems IPR causes, copyleft and creative commons movement was

introduced as a way to solve them. They’re both movements that ask for sharing ideas with others

while still giving some credit to the original author. Many myths about copyleft movement tend to

create a negative view about it, but it’s not true in most cases. First, copyleft is totally different from

illegal piracy. Certain requirements set by the author must be qualified for any other people to use

it, and the difference from IPR is that the process became much simple. Also, the original author

will still be allowed to earn profits for their work and get credit too.

Many open source software examples are cases of copyleft, such as the world wide

web(www.). Also, copyleft creates a much more stable and competitive economic environment.

Allowing many small companies to compete, the system where only the rich gets richer and the

poor gets poorer can be fixed.

Yet, many people believe that creations and ideas won’t be as successful and useful with

copyleft due to the lack of financial incentives. This problem is only a matter when thinking that

financial benefits are the only source that encourages new ideas. Of course financial benefit can

inspire creators greatly, but humans aren’t money making machines. Sometimes other incentives

like pre curiosity, passion or pride trumps any amount of money. Many opponents also argue that
freely expressed ideas from one root will all be similar to each other and won’t be efficient. This

claim is also true in many situations, but the point of copyleft is to create an environment free of

expression, rather than the actual quality of new innovations and better ideas will naturally develop

in such liberal atmosphere.

Overall, the copyleft movement is improving the weaknesses of the original IPR system in

many different aspects, but there is one final question to consider. Why is humanity rushing so

much? The current time period we live in doesn’t really seem desperate of new innovations that

much. Science and technology has developed in an amazing speed, but the resulting current

situation doesn’t look so good. Development and urbanization took place dur to amazing improving

of technology and earth became polluted and ill as a result. Science has made incredible leaps too,

now allowing cloning, genetic remodeling and so much more. Now certain scientists even ask for

patenting certain human genes just because they found out the way to remodel it. Yet, mankind’s

greed and arrogance won’t stop there.

A new system to encourage more innovative developments will certainly be very beneficial

economically. It will likely be much more beneficial in the short run, but the consequences of such

development can also lead to devastating consequences. The development of ideas may only be

helpful to humanity as long as it’s completely necessary. The current time period is literally the age

that imagination is the only limit to development, but everyone knows exactly what fate stands

waiting when that limit is crossed.