Comment by transcriptase

6 months ago

One must admire China’s pivot from 30 years of essentially ignoring IP and patent law to the detriment of Western companies, to now weaponizing IP and patent law against the rest of the world.

American industry also copied plenty from Britain and Germany during its industrialization in 19th century. Patents didn't really apply to foreign IP.

  • Sure, but they apply the moment you start selling back to the country that issued the patent. At least in theory.

They even copied lawfare techniques from American corporations, lol.

It will be "interesting" where this takes us. If the American government decides to just ignore Chinese patents then we could see the Berne convention become a paper tiger (or even more of one than it already is)

  • I hope that's the outcome. Down with intellectual property!

    • Probably more that IP laws and their practical implementation need to be fixed. I have a hard time seeing how what you suggest won't inevitably benefit big, powerful, consolidated and influential players at the expense of the small, inovative ones, further slowing down the pace of innovation. Of course an even more obvious "fix" would be to outlaw "big, powerful, consolidated and influential players", oh, wait!

Many Chinese CEO's are graduates of Western business schools. They learnt the Holy American Dao of weaponizing IP and patent law from established US business culture.

Or criticze the west allowing patent law to stagnate and regress innovation and their economies.

Capitalism, at least the American version of it, has a rich history of ignoring property rights, labor laws and ethics, regulations, etc. If anything, China has, and is, out-Westernizing the Western countries.

  • I really love takes like this. Talk about China as an emerging power in the 21st century while excusing them using tactics from the 19th. 10/10

    • I don't think China is necessarily being excused, but even immoral actions can draw admiration, due to the sheer complexity and brazeness, especially considering that on paper, the groups these actions are being done to are not groups of toddlers, they're equality aggressive countries themselves, historically.