Nathan Newman on farmers being sued for “stealing” from Monsanto:
Saving seeds to restore life in the field at the next planting is the most basic rule of agriculture, but Monsanto is winning big lawsuits to prevent farmers from doing so.
Here is the outcome of giving patents for living things– the very efficiency of life, that the product of a growing harvest yields seeds that can be regrown, is prohibited and banned.
This is why “file sharing” or replanting patented seeds are not equivalent to conventional theft.
When you steal a car or a candy bar, that means that someone else is poorer, and society gains no new wealth from your action. But in the case of patented or copyrighted goods, “theft” means no loss to the producer and greater wealth overall in society.