I do not think this is much of a metaphor, even. The whole paralegal system built around so-called intellectual property is conceptually analogous to the feudal system of banalités, private tolls, guild privileges and monopolies etc. abolished in the early days of the French Revolution. In the sense that it is a set of privileges invented, granted and enforced by the central state power to some private parties, allowing the latter to directly extract rent from the public.
By the way various feudal privileges were fascinating by the way in how Byzantine and random they were, of course from the modern perspective. At the end even the nobles supporting the Enlightenment were for ending them: some say also because they saw more money in free(r?) enterprise. I kind of doubt we'll live to see similar sentiment in copyright robber barons.
By the way various feudal privileges were fascinating by the way in how Byzantine and random they were, of course from the modern perspective. At the end even the nobles supporting the Enlightenment were for ending them: some say also because they saw more money in free(r?) enterprise. I kind of doubt we'll live to see similar sentiment in copyright robber barons.