Whether or not IP is "real" is a red herring from hypocrisy being a valid defense for bad behavior. You can split hairs on the definition of IP, but the genera

Whether or not IP is "real" is a red herring from hypocrisy being a valid defense for bad behavior. You can split hairs on the definition of IP, but the general consensus in economics is that you need to ensure coverage of the fixed creation costs of intellectual property to ensure robust investment in your society. And no, tu quoque definitively intends to discredit the opponent's argument by asserting the opponent's failure to act consistently in accordance with its conclusion. This applies to whataboutism, and exactly what we're talking about in this thread of deflecting back to the U.S.'s inconsistent behavior in the past.