Yet more from the Property in Ideas controversy in LIBERTY: J. William Lloyd, on “Copyright.” (February 7, 1891).
http://fair-use.org/liberty/1891/02/07/copyright
From Lloyd: “Do I, then, deny copyÂright? Yes and no. I deny false, legal copyÂright, which is the privÂiÂlege of the first man [sic] who exÂerÂcisÂes his facÂulÂties in disÂcovÂery or proÂducÂtion to forÂbid othÂers to imÂiÂtate withÂout perÂmisÂsion. This is reÂalÂly not copyÂright, but the inÂvaÂsion of true copyÂright, which is the inÂalienÂable right of every man [sic] to copy whatÂevÂer he pleasÂes if he can, a part of that comÂplete natÂurÂal libÂerÂty of the inÂofÂfenÂsive for which we AnÂarÂchists perÂsisÂtentÂly stand. That there is no ofÂfence in copyÂing is proved by the simÂple fact that, even if I think a thought simÂiÂlar to the thought of my felÂlÂow, he [sic] is not thereÂby at all preÂventÂed from thinkÂing it; if he copies my hoe, he does not by so doing take away my hoe, or preÂvent my using it, or makÂing as many as I please like it. This conÂsidÂerÂaÂtion alone is all-sufÂfiÂcient to make true AnÂarÂchists enÂdorse free copyÂright, inasÂmuch as all acÂtion not inÂvaÂsive is truly free and jusÂtiÂfiÂable.
“Legal copyÂright, patent-right, is only one form of that hydra headÂed moÂnopÂoly which is reÂducÂing us all to slavÂery. This is the true copyÂright, my right and your right to copy and reÂproÂduce everyÂthing our sensÂes comÂpreÂhend; anyÂthing less than this stops human growth and blocks the wheels of progress.”