The Public Domain is, of course, the conceptual space of intellectual property that (usually due to its age) belongs to no individual, but is available to anyone to use in any creative way s/he feels is appropriate. The public domain is one of the great treasures a people can share and benefit from, quite apart from any proprietary secrets, processes etc. that may be of use only to those individuals or institutions possessing them. The presence of a public domain is a more or less unmitigated good for the society hosting it.
Then there are other domains of intellectual property. Some are as simple as a trademark of a recipe: e.g., the recipe for Coca‑Cola™, or Blueberry Morning™, or WD‑40™.
Finally, there are knowledge bases such as a Republican candidate's oppo research on his (usually his) Democratic opponent, or Rep. Darrell Issa's minutes of the House Oversight and Government Reform committee, a knowledge base he intends to use to embarrass and/or incriminate every Democrat he can entrap, using the power of the committee chairmanship. Such public data gathering is frequently outright toxic to democracy: it lives in the public ptomaine.
If this blog ever continues to exist, that will be its primary topic: the politically toxic procedures used not merely to defeat one's political opponents, but to destroy them. If we are fortunate, we will find a way to compel Republicans to cease and desist such open slanders someday. Until then, we must resist those approaches by any means necessary. If I decide to continue this project, you can read about it here.
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