Archive:Legislative Principles

This document provides general principles that legislators should keep in mind when making laws. Like the 2006-2007_Policy_Paper, this document is targeted at US federal legislators, although it may be useful in other contexts. This document should be no longer than a page.

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Legislative Principles

Principles

 * 1) Intellectual property rights are not God-given rights, but limited, government-granted monopolies given to further the public interest. Intellectual property policy must serve as means of achieving creative, social, and economic ends and not as ends in themselves.
 * 2) Intellectual property policy must serve, and not overturn, human rights such as health, education, and freedom of speech.
 * 3) The public interest requires a balance between the public domain and private rights. Intellectual property policy must strike a balance between the free competition that is essential for economic vitality and the monopoly rights granted by intellectual property laws.
 * 4) Intellectual property laws should be judged by their potential to foster new creativity, as required by the U.S. Constitution.
 * 5) Creators have the right to seek compensation for their work, but not to limit political expression, veto technological innovation, or restrict education and scientific research.