OT: Itunes costs

[AES]

Hmm, is vandalism theft? You might be able to claim against insurance
for both vandalism and physical theft, but I doubt if you can claim
against insurance for copyright infringement.

I'm not much interested in endless semantic debates over whether
copyright (or patent) infringement is "theft" in the same sense as
"physical theft," but this post inserts a more operational -- and hence
more intellectually interesting -- turn to the debate:

Can one, in fact, purchase insurance coverage against the theft of
intellectual property? -- that is, against copyright infringement, or
patent infringement?

[Copied to misc.int-property since it might rouse some interest there.]

[Kurt Ullman]

Post by AES
Can one, in fact, purchase insurance coverage against the theft of
intellectual property? -- that is, against copyright infringement, or
patent infringement?
[Copied to misc.int-property since it might rouse some interest there.]

I was wondering that too. Maybe the umbrella for the person or some
kind of general liability for the business? I know you can't insure
against criminal actions, generally, but what about the civil outcomes
of a criminal proceedings. For example, didn't insurance cover some of
the civil suits related to company collapses?

[AES]

In article

Post by Kurt Ullman

Post by AES
Can one, in fact, purchase insurance coverage against the theft of
intellectual property? -- that is, against copyright infringement, or
patent infringement?
[Copied to misc.int-property since it might rouse some interest there.]

I was wondering that too. Maybe the umbrella for the person or some
kind of general liability for the business? I know you can't insure
against criminal actions, generally, but what about the civil outcomes
of a criminal proceedings. For example, didn't insurance cover some of
the civil suits related to company collapses?

Think we meant different things. Can I buy an insurance policy such that
if I own some intellectual "property" (a copyright, a patent) and you
"infringe" it, this policy will reimburse me for my "loss" due to your
"infringing" (or "theft")? -- without my actually initiating a legal
action and attempting to get damages from you in court?

[Wes Groleau]

Post by AES
Think we meant different things. Can I buy an insurance policy such that
if I own some intellectual "property" (a copyright, a patent) and you
"infringe" it, this policy will reimburse me for my "loss" due to your
"infringing" (or "theft")? -- without my actually initiating a legal
action and attempting to get damages from you in court?

If it existed, such policies would help you in ways beyond the
reimbursement.

Because, like other insurance payments, the insurance company
would then take care of the legal action to get their money back.
And they can afford more lawyers (probably) than you can.

This would have a deterrent effect, ....

[Wes Groleau]

Post by AES
I'm not much interested in endless semantic debates over whether
copyright (or patent) infringement is "theft" in the same sense as

That was my point exactly--that the ethics are important
and the semantics are not. Yet my feeble attempt to say
so only inspired more semantics.