Why do you deem patents trademarks copyrights etc intellectual property?

Answer 1

Using others' intellectual property tends to be more effective and efficient than constantly creating your own--reinventing the wheel, as it were. The only concern is that your use should be legal, either through an exemption in the law or (more likely) permission from the rightsholder.

I'm trying to imagine a world where you can never use anyone else's intellectual property. You could never read a book or magazine--you'd just have to write your own. There would be no hit songs, because radio stations would have to create their own new songs, and besides, you'd have to invent a radio to listen to it on, anyway. We can't use this website, or the patented computers we're reading it on.

Sharing ideas is vital. You just don't want to mess with the creator's rights when you do it.

Answer 2

Patents, trademarks, and copyrights are collectively known as intellectual property to differentiate them from real property: the copyright on the book is not the book.