Ownership: Difference between revisions
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{{g}}Where does one start? Well, not with Google’s definition, which fluffs it entirely.<ref>{{google2|define|ownership}}.</ref> “[[Ownership]]”, it says, is “the act, state, or right of [[possession|possessing]] something”. Well, only in the limited sense of the word “possession” — the sense in which it means ownership. So that’s a tautological definition. For it is quite possible to possess something one does not own: if I borrow your tennis racquet, I possess it, but you own it. I can possess your tennis racquet without it being my [[possession]], though — that is the limited sense, meaning [[ownership]]. | {{g}}Where does one start? Well, not with Google’s definition, which fluffs it entirely.<ref>{{google2|define|ownership}}.</ref> “[[Ownership]]”, it says, is “the act, state, or right of [[possession|possessing]] something”. Well, only in the limited sense of the word “possession” — the sense in which it means ownership. So that’s a tautological definition. For it is quite possible to possess something one does not own: if I borrow your tennis racquet, I possess it, but you own it. I can possess your [[tennis]] racquet without it being my [[possession]], though — that is the limited sense, meaning [[ownership]]. | ||
Merriam-Webster is [https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ownership not much better]. “Ownership” is “the state, relation, or fact of being an [[owner]].” We thank you for writing in.<ref>In fairness, the definition of [https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/owner owner] is a lot better: “a person who owns something; one who has the [[legal title|legal or rightful title]] to something; one to whom [[property]] belongs.”</ref> | Merriam-Webster is [https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ownership not much better]. “Ownership” is “the state, relation, or fact of being an [[owner]].” We thank you for writing in.<ref>In fairness, the definition of [https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/owner owner] is a lot better: “a person who owns something; one who has the [[legal title|legal or rightful title]] to something; one to whom [[property]] belongs.”</ref> | ||
Latest revision as of 18:28, 11 December 2023
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Where does one start? Well, not with Google’s definition, which fluffs it entirely.[1] “Ownership”, it says, is “the act, state, or right of possessing something”. Well, only in the limited sense of the word “possession” — the sense in which it means ownership. So that’s a tautological definition. For it is quite possible to possess something one does not own: if I borrow your tennis racquet, I possess it, but you own it. I can possess your tennis racquet without it being my possession, though — that is the limited sense, meaning ownership.
Merriam-Webster is not much better. “Ownership” is “the state, relation, or fact of being an owner.” We thank you for writing in.[2]
In the legal sense, “ownership” is holding the legal title and the equitable benefit of some property [3] Not everything can be property: data that falls short of intellectual property, for example, and, arguable cash (being an abstract token of value and not a corporeal thing per se).
Possession and ownership
Data, intellectual property and ownership
Cash and ownership
Beneficial ownership
References
- ↑ let me Google that for you.
- ↑ In fairness, the definition of owner is a lot better: “a person who owns something; one who has the legal or rightful title to something; one to whom property belongs.”
- ↑ That is, an asset that is capable of being owned.