7 Ways Copyright Hurts the World (and helps the Empire)

Selling Jesus

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In this video, we'll be talking about both copyright law and intellectual property law in general.

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As it stands today, these laws impose a legal framework that inhibits the natural flow of information, creativity, innovation, culture, and the edification of the church.

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While its original intention was to provide creators with a temporary control of their works, the evolution of copyright law has brought many unintended consequences, especially in the digital age.

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The issues surrounding copyright go beyond mere restrictions. They touch on fundamental ethical, economic, philosophical, and biblical principles.

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In this video, we'll explore seven key reasons why IP law is an unnecessary evil, drawing on insights from books such as Against Intellectual Monopoly, The Public Domain, Against Intellectual Property, The Dorian Principle, and others.

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If there's ever a point in the video where you think to yourself, that's ridiculous, there's no way.

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You'll find links in the description to free books and resources that fully substantiate these claims with extensive documentation and evidence.

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Including all of this in the video wouldn't allow me to keep it short and sweet. Now, what I'm about to share is not merely theoretical, and it is something none of the modern gatekeepers want you to hear.

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Now, it's important to understand that the purpose of this video is not to prove these points or necessarily change your mind, but rather to spark curiosity and encourage you to thoroughly explore the reading linked in the description.

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Look at the extensive arguments and evidence with your own eyes. This is only the tip of the iceberg.

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Don't take my word for it. We usually find new ideas like the ones I'm about to present to be hard to stomach because we've never seen anything different in our lifetimes.

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That said, I recommend bracing yourself for a potential paradigm shift in your thinking.

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Here we go. Intellectual property laws often impede technological progress by preventing innovators from building on existing ideas.

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In Against Intellectual Monopoly, the authors argue that many technological advances have occurred despite rather than because of IP protections.

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For example, the development of the software industry has thrived in part due to open source models, which allow people to freely use, modify, and distribute software.

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However, restrictive copyright laws make it illegal to modify or share certain software, even when such changes would lead to significant improvements.

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This stifles collaboration and prevents society from benefiting from rapid technological advancements.

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When the ideas of the old guard run out and new competitors come in with fresher ideas, those who lack innovation turn to government intervention and intellectual property to protect their lucrative old ways of doing business, thereby suppressing any advancement of human flourishing.

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Again, many improvements civilization sees are in spite of the intellectual monopoly cartel, not because of it.

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Copyright stifles the development of culture and intellectual progress by locking down creative works for long periods.

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Originally, copyright was meant to be temporary, but modern laws extend these protections for decades beyond the creator's life.

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This prevents new generations from building on the work of others without legal consequences, restricting access to valuable cultural and educational resources.

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For example, as discussed in the public domain, works that could enhance public knowledge and be used for educational purposes remain inaccessible, effectively privatizing knowledge that should belong to everyone.

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Intellectual property restrictions create monopolies, which are economically inefficient and harmful to society.

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Boldrin and Levine in this book argue that granting exclusive rights to creators often does more harm than good by encouraging monopolistic practices that hinder competition and innovation.

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It's widely accepted that monopoly is generally bad for society, right? So should it be surprising that the same might be true of intellectual monopoly?

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Instead of fostering creativity, copyright laws can enable corporations or individuals to hoard intellectual property, charging high fees for access and suppressing competition.

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This results in fewer choices for consumers and slower advancements in technology and other fields.

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Put simply, monopolies make less available at a higher price.

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Monopolists have one main way of making money, and that is by bullying consumers and competitors to put up or shut up.

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Within the Christian context, copyright has led to the commercialization of ministry, where sermons, worship music, and even

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Bible translations are sold as commodities. This is contrary to the biblical teaching that ministry should be supported by free will offerings, not sold.

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In the Dorian Principle, Owens argues that the commercialization of Christian resources compromises the integrity of the gospel, turning ministry into a business transaction rather than an act of service.

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Copyright enables this commercialization by locking down spiritual resources, thereby forcing churches and believers to pay for materials that should be freely available.

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Again, in this context, copyright contradicts the command to freely give in Scripture.

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Jesus requires His followers to share their spiritual gifts and minister to one another without reservation in Matthew 10 .8.

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Freely you have received, freely give. This emphasizes that Spirit -empowered service meant to edify the body of Christ shouldn't be commercialized or restricted or conditioned on payment, whether that payment be large or minuscule.

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Yet copyright laws have been used by the church to do the opposite of Christ's command, limiting access to sacred and spiritual things for the sake of worldly gain.

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And if you think Christians copyright their teaching and Bible translations in order to be good stewards, we've addressed that misconception in this article linked in the description.

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Now, for the record, I am fully aware that the Bible upholds the right to own and protect physical property because of its finite nature as seen in commands like,

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You shall not steal. Physical goods are limited and their ownership prevents theft and deprivation.

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However, ideas and knowledge being non -scarce can be shared without depriving the original owner.

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Scripture nowhere supports the concept of intellectual property, nor does it promote restricting the sharing of truth.

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The imaginary and artificial concept of intellectual property did not emerge until modern times and was not part of the ancient world in which

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Scripture was written. Early Christians shared their teachings openly without asserting any kind of exclusive ownership of them.

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This practice stands in contrast to modern copyright laws that restrict the sharing of Christian works without permission.

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Ideas and knowledge are not diminished by being shared. Instead, they are multiplied.

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Copyright introduces artificial scarcity to something that is naturally abundant.

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The current copyright system disproportionately benefits the wealthy and large corporations while harming smaller creators and the poor.

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Large companies often have the resources to enforce copyright aggressively and exploit loopholes to extend their control over works indefinitely.

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Meanwhile, individuals in developing countries are denied access to educational and spiritual resources because they cannot afford the high costs associated with copyrighted material.

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This perpetuates global inequality by restricting knowledge and culture to those who can pay for it.

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While many people argue that IP law empowers the little guys, historically, it has more often done the opposite.

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IP law incentivizes the hoarding of intellectual property as creators and companies seek to maximize profits by restricting access to their works.

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Rather than freely sharing knowledge for the common good, copyright encourages individuals to treat their creations solely or primarily as commodities to be sold for personal gain.

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Any altruistic motivation usually ends up being sidelined or eclipsed by the market mentality.

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Furthermore, copyright law places constraints on free speech by limiting the ability to quote, reference, or build upon existing works.

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When a creative work is protected by copyright, others cannot legally use substantial portions of it without permission.

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This creates a chilling effect on discourse as writers, musicians, and filmmakers may avoid using copyrighted material altogether to avoid legal repercussions.

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While fair use law exists, it isn't universal. And it's ambiguous enough to discourage many from risking a lawsuit.

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Copyright creates artificial scarcity in a world where digital goods could be infinitely shared at no cost.

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Unlike physical goods, which are limited by their material nature, digital content can be copied and distributed virtually free.

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However, copyright laws artificially restrict access by making it illegal to share or reproduce digital works without permission.

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This is especially harmful in the realm of education where students and teachers in impoverished regions could greatly benefit from free access to digital textbooks, lectures, and other resources.

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Instead, these materials are locked behind paywalls, perpetuating educational inequality.

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Copyright laws are often rigid and inconsistent across international borders, creating barriers to global collaboration.

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In a world increasingly interconnected by technology, the free flow of information across borders is essential for solving global challenges like disease and poverty and how to get good energy resources to the people who need them.

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Copyright, however, imposes legal barriers that prevent researchers, educators, and creators from collaborating freely.

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As noted in the public domain, the global nature of knowledge -sharing platforms like the internet is undermined by national copyright regimes that impose unnecessary restrictions, slowing down collective problem -solving and innovation.

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You know, interestingly, most of the literary masterpieces that we admire emerged and thrived for centuries in the complete absence of copyright.

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Most of what is considered great literature and is taught and studied in universities around the world comes from authors who never received a penny of copyright royalties.

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Furthermore, the list of industries that were born and grew in the absence of intellectual property protection is almost endless.

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Even the Industrial Revolution period is packed full of examples both of patents hindering economic progress while seldom enriching their owners and of great riches and even greater economic progress achieved without patents and thanks to open competition.

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But in order to see this, we must look at history without glasses shaded with bias.

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So in conclusion, intellectual property law is an unnecessary evil. The detrimental effects of copyright are far -reaching, touching every aspect of society.

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As the authors of Against Intellectual Monopoly write, from a social point of view and in the view of the founding fathers, the purpose of patents and copyrights is not to enrich the few at the expense of the many.

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Yet this is what they have done. IP law keeps us trapped in a monopolized world paying high prices for bad products while preventing the average potential entrepreneur from entering and competing.

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Copyright laws not only stifle creativity but also hinder innovation, restrict freedom, encourage greed and disobedience to Christ, create artificial scarcity, and obstruct global collaboration.

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These consequences contradict both ethical and biblical principles we've unpacked at length on SellingJesus .org

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and in the Dorian Principle. To combat these negative effects, it's essential to explore alternatives to traditional copyright such as open licenses and public domain approaches.

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When it comes to Christian ministry, we recommend dedicating all work to the public domain and receiving the financial support you need through the free generosity of God's people.

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We've shared more about this on Copy .Church. God never fails to provide for those who step out in faith to do genuine ministry.

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As we've said many times on this channel, ministry should be supported but not sold.

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We do not believe everyone who does ministry should be poor and starve. Please hear that.

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We believe that the worker is worthy of his wages and that those wages should come from God through the free generosity of his people and not through the sale of truth, blessing, and grace.

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In summary, I invite you to reconsider the default assumptions of our myopic cultural moment in history regarding IP and copyright.

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By embracing the public domain as the proper theater of God's glory, we can foster a culture of collaboration, creativity, faithfulness, and true stewardship of the gifts

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God has entrusted to us. Once again, the purpose of this video has not been to prove these points or necessarily change your mind, but rather to encourage you to thoroughly explore the reading linked in the description with an open mind and heart.