What is it, exactly, that we think we own?

From Dad:
There is an old 'joke' I remember seeing...

"An empty desk is the sign of an empty mind."

As I was beginning my young adult studies of eastern philosophy I asked "isn't that the point?" The goal for me and this 'exercise' of un-collecting is a greater sense of clarity in seeing the world.

The photo is of some CDs that were in the cabinet next to my side of the bed. I'll take them to one of those "you give us 20 CDs and we'll give you 1" exchange places and get some new music. I'm not really getting rid of the music, though. I'll admit it... I have a hard drive with 20 gigs of mp3 files.

Here's the irony: I teach college students about artists and intellectual property rights.

I have a running conversation with my musician neighbor about this. He's pretty cynical about the music industry and how digital technology has 'doomed' the record industry. With the emergence of all the e-book readers, he sees the same happening for publishing (my industry). Then we talk about the shortcomings of DRM and how it's improving and how we prefer ripping mp3 because of the lack of DRM and how convenient that is and how apple has a strangle-hold on digital sales. This is where we usually interject the difference between property and media and licensing, etc.

At this point, I have to inform you that through the course of my lifetime, so far, I have purchased the CD Steve Miller Bands' Greatest Hits about, like, 11-gajillion times. (I can remember 4 times when I signed up for BMG, a couple of more retail purchases, at least 1 yard sale, and 1 flea market. I know that only 6 but - man - I swear it seems a bunch more than that.)

Do you think I can call someone up and request duplicate media? Don't I own at least 1 license of that property? What do I tell the manager at Target?

I really don't see that scenario working out well.

Bottom line - I'm slowly coming to the view that intellectual property is incongruous with the natural world. I mean, does the squirrel profit from discovering a new way to crack a nut?

I'm not quite there yet. Maybe if I give up enough 'things' - enough 'stuff', that I'll understand that the profitability of my ideas is as ephemeral the dollars I receive in exchange for them.

Man - a royalty check would sure be nice, though.

~the un-collecting dad