(Washington, DC) -- Downloading songs off the internet for free is, "no different than walking into Tower Records and and grabbing CDs and sticking them under your coat," said James Rogan, former Congressman and now Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of United States Patent and Trademark Office at the U.S. Capitol. The briefing, sponsored by Frontiers of Freedom Institute, explored the state of Intellectual Property rights in America. Rogan, joined by George Landrith of Frontiers of Freedom and Jim DeLong of The Progress & Freedom Foundation, spoke to a large crowd of Congressional staff, local attorneys, and representatives from think-tanks and major associations.

"With the ease of file sharing people with the click of a mouse are now able to download all kinds of free music and they think it's great," began Rogan. "The only problem is it's theft." Rogan explained the popular notion that because something is easy to obtain on the internet, and because people are doing it in the privacy of their own homes, that it's none of the governments business.

"They truly feel that they have this right to take things off the net because it's free and easy," Rogan continued. "Therefore they can subsume someone else's private property rights. It is someone else's private property, it is their creation, they have a right to determine how that creation will be disseminated. And they have a right to be compensated for it."

Rogan also addressed the transformation of America from an agrarian colony to a great economic and technological giant and asserts that the primary reason is the protection of intellectual property. He concluded, "This is why we have to maintain our vigilance in this area, we have to treat theft as theft -- irrespective of ease -- and if we do that we can look forward to a strong economy and a great technological future."

George Landrith focused his remarks on the importance of all brands of property rights. "Many believe that the First Amendment is the most important right we enjoy in this country. Not so, it is property rights that is the cornerstone of freedom."

"We speak out because we know we cannot have property rights taken from us," Landrith said. "We have no fear of our government taking our home or property when we criticize them. Without the comfort of knowing that property rights always rule the day, we would have no such ability to speak out and exercise those First Amendment rights. Property rights are fundamental."

Jim DeLong, Senior Fellow and Director of the Center for the Study of Digital Property, addressed the role of intellectual property rights in today's markets. "We are all consumers and producers," said DeLong. "Markets bring us together to institutionalize reciprocity."

"For example, if I buy Madonna's latest CD it send a message that she's done something right," he stated. "It provides incentive to her to continue producing. She produces and we consume. All of us produce our own services and receive compensation. We take that compensation and buy products or services from others."

Concluded DeLong, "Consumers should want to pay, it is how we send a message about what's important to us and what we're willing to pay for. Stealing sends the wrong message to the producers."