I dunno, stealing intellectual property from companies strikes me as a victimless crime.
But more than that, it’s the only way for poor countries to work their way out of poverty. We hold the profitable ends of the value chain, developing countries are left holding the unprofitable middle, and we won’t provide any of the know-how needed to work the more profitable parts.
Either we willingly include technology transfer as part of globalisation, or we whine about ‘IP theft’. Because we can’t expect poor countries to willingly stay poor to benefit us.
China is the second largest economy in the world, nobody is whining about Ethiopia borrowing ideas to feed people.
Well then by your logic, why are they still doing it today, now more than ever, if it’s just a way out of poverty? Hmm 🤔
Stealing IP is victimless up to a point: At the point where companies that pay for innovation are out-competed by companies that just steal this innovations, everyone that wants technological progress is a victim. This is why I have an issue with companies like Huawei blatantly stealing IP. We wouldn’t have the tech we rely on today if not for someone eating the cost of innovation, turning a profit, and seeing continued innovation as a viable business strategy.
Yeah, I get that. That totally makes sense.
However, it only makes sense up to a total point. When it gets to the bizarre situation that even trivial things are patented, and cannot be used, ever again, then IP stops being meaningful. IIRC the scrollbar in browsers used as such an example.
Like, IP, if used a little bit of it, helps innovation. But if the IP laws are too strict, it turns into the opposite, and hinders innovation.
Given the way corporations in the United States have taken advantage of the American people I’m fine with saying IP theft isn’t victimless but I’m glad it’s happening to these corporations. If they want American citizens to care they need to start treating American citizens better. Until then I’m fully in support of China fucking over every American corporation.
