I was in the pub last night, and a guy asked me for a light for his
cigarette. I suddenly realised that there was a demand here and money to be
made, and so I agreed to light his cigarette for 10 pence, but I didn't
actually give him a light, I sold him a license to burn his cigarette. My
fire-license restricted him from giving the light to anybody else, after
all, that fire was my property. He was drunk, and dismissing me as a loony,
but accepted my fire (and by implication the licence which governed its
use) anyway. Of course in a matter of minutes I noticed a friend of his
asking him for a light and to my outrage he gave his cigarette to his
friend and pirated my fire! I was furious, I started to make my way over to
that side of the bar but to my added horror his friend then started to
light other people's cigarettes left, right, and centre! Before long that
whole side of the bar was enjoying MY fire without paying me anything.
Enraged I went from person to person grabbing their cigarettes from their
hands, throwing them to the ground, and stamping on them.
Strangely the door staff exhibited no respect for my property rights as
they threw me out the door.
--Ian Clarke
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