(Justin Deschamps) The issue of intellectual property is a contentious topic for many reasons, partially because the notion of “owning an idea” is generally an affront to freedom-minded people. Rightly so, given intellectual property laws have been abused by large corporations, like Monsanto, that sue farmers for having patented genetic material on their land—some claim, even if it wasn’t intentionally planted. Despite this, the current system of intellectual property can be used for good, and has by many small time content creators. Given the importance of this topic, addressing some misconceptions would be helpful.