All of our legal decisions are facades for the reality of existence. Money is the same, especially debt - why should we not chafe at the entire concept of debt?
These models are convenient fictions so we can rally around shared ideas. One of those shared ideas is that people can own information - it's not technically true, but we as a society have decided it as useful.
You may enter into an agreement with someone, and you may break it, and you may be subject to penalties. But we don't allow chains to be placed on someone in service of a contract. We don't have debtors prisons. We see the chance to have this now with computers.
No big deal right? All seems fine and dandy if it's just internet videos and DRM. Low stakes, right? What's it gonna look like with loan sharks and pacemakers? I assume you have a line, but where is it and why is it there?
These models are convenient fictions so we can rally around shared ideas. One of those shared ideas is that people can own information - it's not technically true, but we as a society have decided it as useful.