[babyeater9000]

I mean that software, in it's written form, is the documentation of knowledge from software development, a service. I view sciencing as another service that produces knowledge. Knowledge has zero cost of duplication and, as such, cannot be considered a product. Artifacts that are produced by the application of knowledge are products because they have a non-zero cost of duplication. Computer hardware is an example of a product. I don't view intellectual property as property either. Software, in my opinion, isn't a product. Software is knowledge. I don't claim to be correct. I'm attempting to share my point of view. Anything with zero cost of duplication isn't a product in my mind because these things are infinitely copyable once created. Once a mathematician discovers a math they don't retain rights to it. Charging money for software is, in my view, no different than trying to make people pay for secret knowledge. You might be able to keep the secret locked down for a while, but it will get out eventually. Knowledge is the closest thing we have to magic, and if we choose to view it through the zero sum lens of capitalism, I think that does society a disservice in the long run. If I were a wizard I would share the magic, not try to charge money to teach people a spell or two. It might be the case that all products are knowledge given form, but keep in mind that knowledge exists before and after discovery and its fruits/artifacts must be created with work.