Baker is Right: IP is Protectionism

Dean Baker makes the excellent point that economists who rail against any restriction on trade are nowhere to be found when the trade barrier supports movie and record executives or pharma.

We need to recognize the fact that IP is a restriction on free trade, and to understand that IP protections need to be balanced against the virtues of free trade. Conversely, this also means that the virtues of free trade need to be balanced against negative societal impact more generally.