Property rights represent exclusive ownership over goods or resources, which can be physical or intangible. They can be held by individuals, public entities, or both. 

In many countries, including the United States, private property rights allow individuals to buy, retain, delegate, lease, or sell their property. 

These rights play a key role in economic transactions and the efficiency of resource use within a society. 

Understanding Property Rights

Property laws, enforced by the state, specify the owner and benefits of a property. Different types of property receive varying levels of legal protection. 

Property is usually owned by an individual or a small group. Patents and copyrights can extend ownership rights. 

• Examples include personal possessions like houses, cars, books, and smartphones
• Pets such as dogs, cats, horses, or birds
• Intellectual property like words, ideas, and innovations.

Community or governmental property is considered public property, with ownership determined by law. Property rights allow the owner to use, lease, or give away the property as they wish. 

Acquiring Property Rights

Property rights can be obtained through homesteading or mutually agreed-upon transfers like sales, gifts, inheritances, and donations. 

Homesteading involves claiming unowned resources by investing labor into them. Examples include plowing a field or domesticating a wild animal. 

In places without property rights, resources are owned and used by force, usually by the government. This use of property is driven by political rather than economic objectives. Open-access property, like streams, is not owned or maintained by anyone. 

Private Property Rights

Private property rights form the basis of many legal and ethical systems, including capitalism. Such rights allow owners to prevent others from benefiting from their assets. 

All privately owned resources are competitive, meaning that only one person can hold legal rights to a property. Only the owners can use and profit from their property, and they are free to exchange their resources.