Legalizing Chinese espionage? – General
www.americanthinker.com — For its first segment Sunday night, CBS's "60 Minutes" looked at Chinese spying in America. Correspondent Scott Pelley asked Michelle Van Cleave ,"When it comes to espionage against the United States, is China now the number one threat that we face?" Van Cleave was in charge of coordinating the hunt for foreign spies for the Director of National Intelligence from 2003 to 2006. "The Chinese are the biggest problem we have with respect to the level of effort that they're devoting against us versus the level of attention we are giving to them," Van Cleave explained.
My favorite line from the article:
"Lifting security restrictions would not balance trade, which posted a $227 billion U.S. deficit last year. It could, however, change the balance of power as Beijing desires, since anything sent to China will be copied for local reproduction."
So true...
Under the guise of "indigenous innovation" the Chinese government has set up research programs at universities and institutes around the country where they reverse engineer foreign technologies and copy them. I knew one US manufacturer of environmental technology that was touring one such program and was shocked to find an exact copy of his tech product being worked on. The researcher showing him around explained nonchalantly that China was copying all kinds of Western tech in preparation for a time when they could no longer buy the technology because of trade friction or war. This is what China calls "indigenous innovation".
Jay, I'm hardly a panda hugger, but...
"...The researcher showing him around explained nonchalantly that China was copying all kinds of Western tech in preparation for a time when they could no longer buy the technology because of trade friction or war."
Where is the problem with this, from a nationalist perspective? Is the US -- or any other country for that matter -- not entitled to do this?
We're not talking about WMD here, btw.
--ADM
There's plenty wrong with it ADM. Copying patented technology is illegal according to international treaties that China is party to. For this illegal and unethical copying to be state-sponsored is exponentially more troubling. Not only will the government that undertakes this sort of piracy not bring itself to justice it sends a message to the private sector that international law and treaties are just something to wink at and pay lip service to.
And no, the US nor anyone else is entitled to break international patent law. And yes, actually in a number of cases, we are talking about WMD technology.
I'm just curious how many of you would feel ok about creating some new product that you patented or got copyright for and then saw the Chinese government steal it from you? Of course, you have to register your patent in China to protect it but most tech companies do so. As for copyright, books, art, etc are protected by int'l treaty and don't have to be specifically registered in China.
I had a book of mine copied in China by a government-owned publisher and distributed without paying any royalties to me even though my work was still protected by copyright. So I know what it feels like to be ripped off in China.
"Of course, you have to register your patent in China to protect it but most tech companies do so."
Which is just like giving them a heads up on the next thing they will be ripping off. Indigenous innovation my ass.
It's a never-ending battle. Your vigilance meter is nearly always-on. I don't suspect businesspeople get a moment of relaxation in China whatsoever. Big reward for the massive risk someone is taking, to be sure.
Point taken. Almost akin to: "It's all fun until someone loses an eye."
Agreed completely, ADM.
The Chinese government is in fact pumping money in both directions: For its own original R&D and to reverse engineer foreign technology.
For example, China publishes the second largest number of research papers in the world, and also files the second highest no.of patents. Second only to the US in both cases.
- http://indiaschinablog.blogspot.com/