'It is similar to what we now have for companies,' Delvaux noted. The idea of corporate personhood has existed for several decades, giving firms the right to take part in legal cases both as the plaintiff and respondent, own property, and a limited amount of free speech. They are limited in that they cannot vote, run for office, or bear arms. The comparison with corporate personhood is, unfortunately, not particularly unfavorable. When it comes to promoting commercial interests, however, various parties have proven themselves highly adept at exploiting the notion of corporate personhood for their own gain, and there is no reason to think that they shouldn't take advantage of electronic personhood in the same way.