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The more general cost is if your country ignores IP while another doesn't you have an immense competitive advantage if the country you are "stealing" from can't

by zanny 8y ago

The more general cost is if your country ignores IP while another doesn't you have an immense competitive advantage if the country you are "stealing" from can't in some way punish you economically for it. I'm personally an IP abolitionist but can recognize that China is abusing its position here. It doesn't hurt the US nearly as much as it does Southeast Asia, India, Japan, Korea etc that by and large obey US IP law. That was in part what the TPP was meant to enshrine in more formalized, consistent, and persistent terms - the Asian nations agree to obey US IP imperialism while the US gives them advantageous trade opportunities over China. A large degree of why it was so heinous was because of how biased it was in favor of the US because of how desperately the countries surrounding China wanted a competitive edge over their ability to ignore US IP. In many ways Trumps China tariffs are giving a lot of these nations what they wanted without getting anything in return from them.

_cs2017_ 8y ago
I agree that IP theft hurts countries that don't partake in it. However, I was asking about the effect on the world as a whole. Taking some wealth from one country and giving it to another isn't directly changing the amount of wealth in the world. But some second order effects may come into play that do change the global wealth.
- pzone 8y ago
  The reduced incentive for innovation from US firms hurts global wealth just as much whether the IP copycats are in the US or if they're in China.
erikpukinskis 8y ago
Would you abolish copyrights too, or just patents? Trademarks? If I could only have one of the three I’d keep trademarks. But I think copyrights are pretty harmless, given the fair use provision and a sensible cutoff. Like 50 years seems like plenty of times to diversify those assets. I’m an anarchist generally, and I can definitely envision a world where all IP rights are abolished, but I think I’d want to go there slowly, one right at a time. Because the capitalist mechanism will by default harm people so we need syndicalist institutions in place before we open the floodgates to the abuse of the markets.

by zanny 8y ago

_cs2017_ 8y ago

I agree that IP theft hurts countries that don't partake in it. However, I was asking about the effect on the world as a whole. Taking some wealth from one country and giving it to another isn't directly changing the amount of wealth in the world. But some second order effects may come into play that do change the global wealth.

pzone 8y ago
The reduced incentive for innovation from US firms hurts global wealth just as much whether the IP copycats are in the US or if they're in China.

erikpukinskis 8y ago

Would you abolish copyrights too, or just patents? Trademarks? If I could only have one of the three I’d keep trademarks. But I think copyrights are pretty harmless, given the fair use provision and a sensible cutoff. Like 50 years seems like plenty of times to diversify those assets. I’m an anarchist generally, and I can definitely envision a world where all IP rights are abolished, but I think I’d want to go there slowly, one right at a time. Because the capitalist mechanism will by default harm people so we need syndicalist institutions in place before we open the floodgates to the abuse of the markets.