"Property is resilient like the Alps"

After lunch on the 9th of July 2021 the SFB members discussed Gunnar Folke Schupperts book „Eigentum neu denken. Ein Rechtsinstitut zwischen Wandel und Resilienz“ (Rethinking property: a legal institute between change and resilience, translated title). In his book he argues that the understanding of property has changed (and is currently changing), but not property itself. With that point of view he criticized the much discussed thesis of a structural change of property. Schuppert understands property as an institution that is at least as unwavering and resilient as the Alps (largest mountain range in Europe). Through counterarguments from the audience, mainly by spokesman Hartmut Rosa, a lively discussion about the changeability of property arose. This discussion, lead by the humorous and confident presentation by Schuppert, soon exceeded every time limitation. In the center of the discussion was again the topic of intellectual property which was also mentioned in a commentary of Jens Beckert (Max-Planck Institute of social research) and Jürgen Kaube (newspaper FAZ) before, as well as in the transfer event by Björn Brembs (Professor of Neurobiology) on „Geistiges Eigentum und Open Access in der Wissenschaft“ (Intellectual Property and Open Access in Science).