Call the irony police! A Marxist publishing company in Britain that used to be affiliated with the British Communist Party is protecting its property and denying access to Marx’s writings to the public for free. David Kravets of Ars Technica reports:

A radical publishing house, called Lawrence & Wishart, who at one time was connected to Great Britain's Communist Party, is demanding the removal from the Marxists Internet Archive of the "Marx-Engels Collected Works"—hardcover books that sell for up to $50 a pop.

The archive has posted a message to its readers informing them that Lawrence & Wishart's material will be removed April 30.

That the works will be removed ahead of May Day "is just grotesque," wrote Scott McLemee, the intellectual affairs columnist for Inside Higher Ed. In an e-mail, he said he suspected academics might boycott the London-based publisher.

The archive said that "English translations of Marx and Engels from other sources will continue to be available."

The publisher said in a statement that it's now the "subject of online abuse."

"Income from our copyright on this scholarly work contributes to our continuing publication programme. Infringement of this copyright has the effect of depriving a small radical publisher of the funds it needs to remain in existence," the statement said.

Translation: our property is good because it helps us. Your property, if we don’t like you, maybe not so good.

Hat tip: Instapundit