Intellectual property and the American Way (Score 1)

When I first saw this article I truly didn't know whether to laugh or to cry. It made me start thingking about the entire concept of intellectual property and how truly un-American it is. I would like to pose several questions not just to Microsoft but to anyone who believes that a thought can be owned. What would this nation be like if the great minds that came together at the dawn of the 19th century had claimed intellectual property rights on their thoughts? Where would we be if Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, Benjamin Franklin, Patrick Henry, the 55 men of the Constitutional Convention and countless others who founded this nation had cried "intellectual property!" instead of sharing their ideas freely? Would we be a more perfect union if they had regulated the trafficing and usage of human thought? So to Mr. Allchin and to all the others who share his opinion (and for the sake of this nation I hope these are few) I state the simple truth with I must share freely with you: our nation is great only because it is free. Free speech is not just free "speech" but the freedom to express yourself in whatever medium you desire, be it music or programming. It is by this mechanism that we initiate and execute change. Our founding fathers knew this fact all too well because they were aware of their imperfections and in the fallacy of the document they created. To be without the freedom to share any and all expression in whatever manner you prefer is to be armless against our own folly. In closing I have only one thing left to say about the American Way as it pertains to the open source movement. Mr Allchin, I ask you what could possibly be more American than a movement by the people and for the people that is perpetuated in no small part by our desire to not pay unreasonable costs? Need I remind you that our own revolution was due in no small part to our reluctance to pay one cent more than we have to for anything? I respectfully submit this piece of my intellectual property. Please do not abuse it, sir.