Didn't the US "steal" the mechanisms behind the mechanical looms in the 19th century? I understand the concern that if no one is safe to invest in R&D without o

Didn't the US "steal" the mechanisms behind the mechanical looms in the 19th century? I understand the concern that if no one is safe to invest in R&D without others immediately copying their tech (and therefore they won't receive a return on investment, which disincentivises future R&D), but aren't some phone manufacturers sitting on giant piles of money from their profit margins (Apple)? At the end of the day you end up with phones with more features being more affordable for the masses.