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Purveyance And Power Or Over-Priced Free Lunch: The Intellectual Property Clause As An Ally Of The Takings Clause In The Public’S Control Of Government, Malla Pollack

Malla Pollack

Government can bypass citizen control if it can use revenue not publicly scrutinized through the public taxing/spending system. One method of bypass is paying with non-monetary compensation such as (i) property, or (ii) the right to charge others for some necessary good or service, intangible property. The Takings/Just Compensation Clause of the Fifth Amendment is one authority controlling government's ability to bypass financial scrutiny. In this article, I argue that the Intellectual Property Clause also should be used to control some governmental bypass. I attempt to justify this suggestion both theoretically and historically. The historical material included focuses on English …