[alasdair_]

The reason I like it for IP is that the cost to society to enforce IP rights is pretty high.

Not just directly (e.g. costs to grant patents, hear court cases etc.) but indirectly - people can make things completely on their own and end up being sued for it because of an obscure patent violation. This has a chilling effect on innovation in general.

Because of this, making the person with the special right have to pay for the costs of that right seems fair.