Comment by ggm | Hacker News Reader

Comment by ggm | Hacker News Reader

Not entirely defending things but observing that if you are of a view that IPR is basically absurd, "stealing" it may be equally absurd, but rational.

After you've stolen it, it's still "there" except for the exclusivity.

Chips will still exist, fab lines will still run. Profits have tanked, sure. Innovation is probably stifled but that's an opportunity loss.

There's a long history of stealing IPR at the state level around the world. States do this, private individuals do this, assets get seized everywhere from time to time.

'Sovereign risk' has always to be factored in to any business venture, anywhere. Nobody can possibly have been investing millions in China mainland without knowing this risk going in. At this point, "outrage" is part of the negotiating tactics. Outrage won't really stop this happening here or anywhere else. Bilateral consequences might? What Chinese assets will somebody seize?

The German petrochemical and drugs sector was economically robbed postwar WW1 and WW2 and personally I think somewhat rightly so. Bayer made cool drugs, but also helped the nazi party. Russia and America both took things as expropriation. Postwar, but.. does war make this IPR and asset claim really that much better?

Consider it from the perspective of the people who advocated for the hollowing out of industry, the "managed decline" crowd. It sure would be nice to hear an admission of, at best, shortsightedness... If only somebody had warned us about basing an economy on "knowledge work" (no joke, they call it that) in a world where "intellectual property" is just mouth noise.

Exactly. Most companies do know that intellectual property doesn't mean shit in China, but choose to do business with them anyways because they'd prefer the ability to manufacture things for ridiculously cheap. Just like how companies in developed nations leverage their capital advantage to make many times more profit than their Chinese suppliers, Chinese companies leverage their manufacturing advantage to capture IP from companies of developed nations. If you consider the latter theft, then you should consider the former theft as well.

Thank you. I'm surprised by the tone of some of the comments here. The linked article's framing of the story is outright flamebait.

There's a very strong anticommunist view in this tech community, combined with libertarianism and neoliberal economic views. If you add nationalism to the mix, it's fuel on the fire.

I don't want to live in an authoritarian society but foaming at the mouth about the CCP is really silly.

In addition, there's a very strong Anti-China view in this community. But the red scare was just an appetizer. The main serving is the anti-communism that has infected the subconscious of Americans who only hear and listen to the media that serves this insanely good propaganda.

The USA is currently in shambles and all this China bashing is a witch hunt to distract from the problems at home.

> The USA is currently in shambles and all this China bashing is a witch hunt to distract from the problems at home.

Eh, you're half right. The US is in shambles, but ideological competition from China isn't a distraction. The Chinese government is consciously opposed to many values that Westerners care quite deeply about: https://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/20/world/asia/chinas-new-lea.... The issue is that, unlike with Soviet Communism, the West may not be able to rise to the occasion this time.

As if everyone talking here were from the US. The US currently being in shambles doesn't justify any of China's human rights violations, imperialistic policies or genocides.

> anticommunist

Since when is China even a communist country anywhere but on paper ?

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