From: fnerd@smds.com (FutureNerd Steve Witham)
Date: Fri, 18 Jun 93 13:47:27 PDT
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Re:  Blasting Bidzos Blather
Message-ID: <9306182028.AA22659@smds.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


> Oh, here goes another Big Bad Corporation abusing our rights...!  Well, are
> there any Libertarians out there who will please speak up for the right of
> Bidzos & co to earn a legal profit any way they see fit...?

I'm a libertarian.  I happen to be a type of libertarian who doesn't believe
in patents.  So I think nobody has a "right" to use government (or any force)
to enforce their patents.

BUT, many people believe patents are okay, and many feel they do have 
a right to enforce their patents.  I think the RSADSI/PKP people are like
this.  It's a perfectly common belief.  So except for the whole patent issue,
(including the validity of their particular patents), I think they have a
right to sell or not sell licenses to anyone they choose.

BUT, to libertarians there's a big distinction between "You have a
right to..." and "It's right for you to..."  It's possible they're acting
within their rights (with the exception noted above) and yet doing something
wrong or evil.

BUT, in this case I'm not sure whether what they're doing is particularly
wrong, although I haven't seen a good case one way or the other.

-fnerd
quote me