yeah, the guy stealing your money would totally balk at spending $50 bucks of your money to do that ;-)

The point is that stealing something physical deprives the original owner whereas using their IP doesn't deprive them of that IP. That's the crux of it.

There is no deprivation when IP is used by someone else. Hence why we set up copyright to implement limited monopolies to encourage people to create more. Monopolies are anti-capitalist obviously.

So are cable TV monopoly franchises. But by granting that limited monopoly, we get faster delivery of a network that benefits everybody rather than only for people who it is profitable to serve. Society is better off in that slightly less 'capitalist' scenario.

Any old registrar he wants to register his OWN TheRealRonPaul.com site. Him going to the UN rather than just accepting that the market price is what they are asking is the problem.

They're somewhat similar but distinctly different in very significant ways. I can take your IP and you still have it. I can take your car and you don't have it anymore.

Perfectly reasonable. Technological advancement has always affected the status quo, and the modern internet age is no different.

Offering creators a limited term monopoly to incentivize creation of new content is good for society, that's how IP works. Pre-internet/computers there was physical costs/labor associated with duplicating and distributing said content.

Now that duplication and distribution costs are basically nil, it will radically change how IP works, but that doesn't mean IP isn't an important concept that still bears fruit.

His son Rand....

Perhaps you missed the part where he's avoiding said fierce negotiation by running to the UN...

Yep, exactly what I'm saying.

People who want small government don't understand that 'government' is how we resolve disputes between independent parties. Unless they're going to magically make the human race stop having 'disputes', government will always be around and be relatively large (assuming the populations that support them are likewise large).

Desiring a more efficient/streamlined government would be reasonable, but mostly they aren't asking for that from what I've seen, both Libertarians and Republicans/Conservatives.

How is this 'fraud'? They're accurately and honestly promoting him. They aren't claiming to 'be' him at all, just espouse his views and policies.

Trademark is anti-free market. It's meant to stop things for a greater good as you say. But that's not libertarianism. Libertarianism is that the market will correct itself.

Only if you're a proctologist...

Please. 250K, for over 4 years of effort by multiple people is hardly 'shakedown' levels. They built something themselves and would like some compensation to turn it over.

Intellectual Property *is* anti-capitalism. Period.

It's also reasonably good for society as a whole when managed properly. We've been failing on that last part for a few decades though...

Sources? I totally believe you but I'd love to see the actual proof :)

This isn't domain squatting. They've been actively using the site for multiple elections expressly to promote Ron Paul. These are *his* ardent supporters who did this on their own dime and if he wants to control the benefits of that...guess what, pay up. They aren't asking for millions, just a paltry 250K. Spread over 4 years over multiple people. It's hardly trying to 'cash in' on something.

Ron Paul is both hypocritical here and right on the money. Which is that his libertarian views are that he's allowed to do whatever he wants...including suing people or running to governmental agencies for help.

Libertarianism itself is hypocritical...and it's downright fun to watch the ardent supporters get a lesson in that...

yeah but now they're going to be known as Bit-Coin....since they'll be losing quite a bit of, ahem, 'coin'

From your OP:

Now you say that manufacturing doesn't bring down prices?

So as soon as it's cheap, it's good? News flash, it will never be cheap and it will always be getting better. You can't wait until its 'better'. If you wait, you never start. Solar power is fully realizable right now, there are simply no technological hurdles to implementing it.

The only reason solar makes any sense over coal is global warming, and to a lesser extent pollution. If global warming isn't a clear and present danger, then solar and most other renewables aren't worth it. We have plenty of coal to run our grid for literally centuries.

If it is a clear and present danger, then it does make clear economic sense to start now well before it's economical. Because the macro economics are that the costs of continued coal use will dwarf any production costs and interest over time. How much is moving NYC going to cost? Miami?

Ok, now what about the century head start oil and gas have over solar? That's not a fair playing field, they have the advantage already just by standing still.

even if you throw out the environment, how about we subsidize US industry to build faster and then sell the results of that R&D through manufacturing to the rest of the world? Because that's exactly what China is doing right now. Or do you want to cede the entire market to the Chinese? The rest of the world WANTS solar in a big way, and yet you're arguing we shouldn't be subsidizing our home grown manufacturing to build what the world wants? Economic suicide.