A one-dimensional spectrum is inadequate for describing economic policy.  The left-right view presents a false dichotomy.  There are at least three distinct and independent axes that should be considered:

1.  Regulation of private industry vs. Deregulation of private industry  (copyrights and patents are types of regulation)

2.  Welfare vs. Let Them Starve

3.  Public infrastrucure vs. Privatization of roads and utilities

On one side of the vector space it would be possible for a government to almost totally unsubsidize and deregulate business, while paying for cradle-to-grave individual welfare benefits with a progressive personal income tax.   On an opposite end, it would be possible for a government to not give a shit about welfare and let people starve while proactively regulating millions of parts of the economy and spending billions of tax dollars to help rich guys who bought usury-backed securities cash out closer to their face value than their real value. (i.e. the current situation in the USA)   And then there are the two "traditional" positions which conflate  regulation with welfare, and conflate deregulation with lack of welfare.