Too much effort? America llegally stole tons of IP, otherwise known as industrial espionage.
What about it? That was over a century ago. It still doesn't make China's industrial espionage ethical or right.
What about it? That was over a century ago. It still doesn't make China's industrial espionage ethical or right.
From the Chinese point of view, it is freeing knowledge from imperialist powers that previously conspired to divide its country, drug its populace with opium, set up rape camps for the mere “comfort” their soldiers. It feels that it must be on par with these counties or risk having atrocity after atrocity revisited upon it.
No one feels they are evil, and even when you “cheat” it’s always because you were cheated first.
I'm not sure what you mean by 'ehtical or right'. It really depends on your perspective, and probably the place you were born.
People are dying that could be saved, right now, today, because of America's IP laws.
How is that right or ethical?
You could argue that without those IP laws, more would die in the future. But with how fast tech moves today, I think even a 10 year copyright/5 year patent length is perhaps too long to really justify that.
...and more than a century before, the UK successfully sent a spy to China to smuggle out tea seedlings (which was illegal in China). It's the circle of (IP) life: upstart plays fast & loose with IP laws until they grow into the incumbent, then they get really conservative on IP laws to stay on top. In a hundred years, China will be just as rigid as the US is now.
Pointing out patterns is intellectually interesting by itself - I think those who say "It's different this time: we are civilized now" are the ones who are being less than honest with themselves; the laws and morals didn't change in 100 years, only the side certain countries occupy on the upstart/incumbent fence flipped.
Let's promote actually good things like free speech, privacy, etc., and not draconian IP policies that just allow the same rent seeking giant corporations everywhere to fuck us all over everywhere. If we tie everything together, we'll loose all of it.
Companies have been neglecting the demand side for ages now. Increasing American household debt bought them some time, but isn't a very sustainable resource.