[trashtester]

Many animals use urine to "write" their claim to ownership. Trespassers get punished severely, and they know it. The message implies a high willingnes to enforce their claim, even at significant risk. Rivals usually stay away unless they are either desperate or confident that they are superior.

I would argue that these are the instincts that form the basis for our concept of ownership of assets, and predate our modern justice systems by tens of millions of years.