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.
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.
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.
