Comment by __MatrixMan__

Yeah good point. There's a whole spectrum of applications of "property". People can and do fight over it, and consensus shifts with time.

I think we can agree that data is at least not on the uncontroversial end of that spectrum.

I guess I just don't see a meaningful difference between:

"____ cannot be property"

And

"At some other place or time ____ might be property but as a participant in the consensus for this place and time I am proposing that we not allow ____ to be property"

Its like rights. They only exist if you fight for them. Controversial notions of property are only legitimate if we let them be... so let's interfere with that legitimacy (and if we must, enforcement).