International copyright : considered in some of its relations to ethics and political economy

In this thought‑provoking address, a 19th‑century economist examines copyright not merely as a legal technicality but as a fundamental question of how society values labor and ideas. He argues that the principles governing production, supply, and demand are inseparable from the rights of authors, positioning literary creators alongside craftsmen in the struggle for full, unrestricted use of their work. By linking the free‑trade ethos to the moral claim that creators should reap the complete fruits of their intellect, the speaker challenges the prevailing national barriers that dilute an author’s ownership.

The lecture unfolds with clear, almost elementary, propositions—“two plus two makes four”—to build a logical framework for property rights in the realm of ideas. It underscores the tension between theoretical soundness and practical implementation, warning that even well‑intended laws can become harmful if misapplied. Listeners will gain a historical perspective on the early debates that shaped modern intellectual‑property concepts, framed through the lens of ethics and political economy.