- published: 23 Apr 2015
- views: 292377
Intellectual property (IP) is a term referring to creations of the intellect for which a monopoly is assigned to designated owners by law. Some common types of intellectual property rights (IPR) are trademarks, copyright, patents, industrial design rights, and in some jurisdictions trade secrets: all these cover music, literature, and other artistic works; discoveries and inventions; and words, phrases, symbols, and designs.
While intellectual property law has evolved over centuries, it was not until the 19th century that the term intellectual property began to be used, and not until the late 20th century that it became commonplace in the majority of the world.
The Statute of Monopolies (1624) and the British Statute of Anne (1710) are seen as the origins of patent law and copyright respectively, firmly establishing the concept of intellectual property.
The first known use of the term intellectual property dates to 1769, when a piece published in the Monthly Review used the phrase. The first clear example of modern usage goes back as early as 1808, when it was used as a heading title in a collection of essays.
Stefan Basil Molyneux (/stɛˈfæn ˈmɑːlɪnjuː/; born September 24, 1966) is a Canadian blogger. Molyneux's areas of interest include anarcho-capitalism, secular ethics, libertarianism, cryptocurrencies, and familial relationships. He is a self-published author and has spoken at libertarian conferences and on podcasts. Molyneux formerly worked in the software industry.
Molyneux was born in Ireland and moved to Canada when he was about 12 years old. After attending the Glendon College of York University, where he was a member of Theatre Glendon and the Debating Society, he attended the National Theatre School of Canada in Montreal. Molyneux received a B.A. in History from McGill University in 1991 and an M.A. in History from University of Toronto in 1993.
In early 1995, he and his brother Hugh founded Caribou Systems Corporation, a Toronto-based provider of environmental database software. Stefan was the salesman for the company. The company was sold in 2000.
Molyneux was raised in the Protestant Christian tradition, however describes himself as an atheist.