Post
Topic
Board Legal
Re: Are Bitcoin's virtual property?
by
reyals
on 14/12/2012, 20:42:16 UTC
Do you think that bitcoins aren't property or are you just trying to argue something else at this point?
No - as mentioned above I think bitcoins are information about rights which full-fill the key characteristics we associate with property. The novelty about bitcoin versus other kinds of digital content (e.g. music files) is that ownership is enforceable through the PKI. If you need a law which prohibits others from using your digital content there is not a strong sense of ownership - it's like trying to sell 2 hours of sunlight a day - you don't own the sun - but you may be able to control the access to sunlight. But that doesn't mean it's not shining.

The problem I have with the way "intellectual property" is used is that it is applied towards items which do not possess key characteristics of properties out of the box. Then you have complicated laws and PIPA and SOPA which do more harm than good. Items which do not possess characteristics of property can be considered to be in the public domain, where you are the rightful person to receive monetary contributions. I think that's what Stallman is getting at. Punishing people for watching a movie, or sharing a song for free is nonsense if there was no intended money flow or business. It serves no purpose.

Anyway - that's all not a problem with bitcoin - because ownership can be enforced through PKI.
No?  No what?
No. You think that bitcoins aren't property?  IE they are property.
No. You think that bitcoins aren't propety? (but don't understand double negitives)And they aren't property?
No. You are just trying to argue something else at this point?  Yet continue to argue?
.....
/confused


But I think you're think you're talking about the second one...  and you think they aren't property....
So rolling with that.
full-fill the key characteristics we associate with property
You just proved yourself wrong.  If they fullfill they key requirments to be property then they are in fact property.

Here are the top 3 defintions of property from google.
Which do you feel doesn't cover bitcoins?

1. something of value, either tangible, such as land, or intangible, such as patents, copyrights, etc.
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/property

b : the exclusive right to possess, enjoy, and dispose of a thing
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/property

Law the right to the possession, use, or disposal of something; ownership:
http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/property