# Let's talk about intellectual property rights **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [November 30, 2020, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-intellectual-property-rights/926862 "2020-11-30T22:44:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Showing post:** 100
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2020, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-intellectual-property-rights/926862/100 "2020-12-02T23:55:51Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Are you still arguing about terminology? Why? > … > There’s a common term for something you create in your mind. It’s called an idea. IMHO, you’ve been getting a lot of pushback on your terminology because, in many people’s minds, there’s a huge and important distinction between _ideas_ and the creative works that are generated from those ideas. This has been discussed in several threads, such as this one: > [@You've got a story idea, but you can't write....](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youve-got-a-story-idea-but-you-cant-write/9424): > > What do you do if you’ve come up with an interesting idea for a story, but you couldn’t write your out of a paper bag?? > [@You've got a story idea, but you can't write....](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youve-got-a-story-idea-but-you-cant-write/9424/3): > > Most authors can’t go to a party without someone coming up to them and saying “I got this great idea for a book. Why don’t you write it and we’ll split the profits?” Polite writers say “No, thanks.” Impolite writers laugh. > > Many people think the idea for a story is the most important part. It’s not. Anyone can come up with an idea that could make a good story, but the matter of execution is something else entirely. A writer has no trouble coming up with ideas and doesn’t need help. It’s the writing skill that turns the idea into a story, and the idea is only about 2% of that. --- _[View the full topic](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-intellectual-property-rights/926862)._