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阅读理解。 Intellectual property (IP) is a product of the mind that has commercial value．The concept dates back to 1623,when the first patent law to protect IP rights was passed．IP rights protect an artist from having his/her creative ideas copied by another．For example, if somebody generates an idea for a novel, that idea is protected by IP rights．If someone else wishes to represent the idea or develop it further, he/she must consult the original artists, who will normally be rewarded financially for its use．Back in the 17th century, IP rights were primarily carried out to protect newly developed manufacturing processes against stealing, but today, intellectual property rights, are also enjoyed by those who create music, art and literature． In recent years, IP rights have been the focus of a great deal of discussion because of a technology which looks set to weaken them altogether: the Internet．Many years ago, if you wanted a recording of a song, you would have to purchase it from a music store; if a novel, from a book store．In those days, IP rights were easily protected since it was very difficult to obtain intellectual property without paying for it．However, a lot of IP, including songs, films, books and artwork, can be downloaded today free of charge using the Internet．This practice has now taken the world by storm, dramatically affecting the way in which we view IP rights． ．According to the writer, in the beginning, IP rights were mainly of use to ____ | 
