[kelnos]

> They have. It's called insurance.

In other words, economists haven't solved the problem. Insurance just kicks the can down the road.

> You could also just require a license to scrap copper.

That doesn't work. The UK and US already have laws to make it hard to sell illegally-gotten scrap metal. But black markets and "laundering" will always exist as a workaround. These things are riskier, and result in lower returns for the thief, but it doesn't stamp out the problem.