Do words have an owner?

Hello everyone!
I hope you had a good Easter break...always too short anyway!!
I started reflecting a little bit on IPR (Intellectual Property Rights) today. I must admit that I never thought about it very much since nobody ever talked to me about it! Indeed, I was stricken that in Italy we don't care enough about respecting the rights of little owners. 'Little' because here I'm talking about people owning their written words and the thoughts they express through these words.
The title of my post is a provocation. Do words have an owner? Yes, of course they have. Would you be happy if someone copied your words and used them to do what he wants? No, of course you wouldn't. This is a simple question to answer but I think that in Italy this kind of things can easily happen. Italian teachers don't teach their students that copying is a mistake. Until now, I didn't even imagine that I risked sanction using somebody else's words.
Actually, there are exceptions. Indeed, last week I met a friend of mine that is going to take her MA in Psychology. She told me that her supervisor (but her professors too) was really concerned about plagiarism. My friend learned from the very beginning of her university career that she shouldn't use the work of others without citing it. She knew and I didn't. I'm still surprised! Forcing me to see the bright side I say: one never stops learning!
If you want to know a little bit more about IPR visit this website. It is the official website of the WIPO (World International Property Organization). On the Web you can find a lot of on-line journal articles and discussions about what is and what isn't right to do with Intellectual Properties. I read this article from the Los Angeles Times and I found it nice and useful for understanding that people have different opinions on this subject. Read it if you want and let me know!
Bye bye,
;-) Chiara

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