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The amount of mental gymnastics going on to validate IP theft in the GP’s comment is unreal. Assuming the comment is true (and it matches with enough documented

The amount of mental gymnastics going on to validate IP theft in the GP’s comment is unreal. Assuming the comment is true (and it matches with enough documented cases to warrant that assumption), they had an agreement, Huawei clearly violated it and then usurped it illicitly and immorally. This is not a good thing. It’s even worse that there are no consequences for bad actions because China is playing an extremely asymmetric game. As a result, if the GP’s company went under, you’re still suggesting this is somehow good for the world? It’s good for Huawei, and not many others. Unless you’re Chinese and benefit, know they’re playing for keeps with your losses. This isn’t what trade looks like, it’s not what the WTO agreement was for, and is very zero sum.

croes 5y ago
https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20180313/10404539417/us-navy-accused-massive-amounts-piracy-german-software-company.shtml https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20180313/10404539417/us-na... It's only piracy if others do it, isn't it.
- azinman2 5y ago
  No, it's wrong for anyone. And in this case, the German company has recourse to actually sue the US military, and with plenty of history backing this up, can actually win! Good luck trying to sue the Chinese military for contract breach of installing software on more computers than specified... Further, note that this is an instance of piracy versus IP theft that then directly competes with the original source, as a coordinated playbook with government support to advance local industries. It's pretty much apples & oranges.
woopwoop 5y ago
Do you feel the same way about pirating music or television shows?
lanternfish 5y ago
I think the commenter would agree with most of what you're saying - I just don't think they care. The argument would be that raising the quality of life of the Chinese citizen through accelerated economic development as brought on by IP theft outweighs the costs of the theft due to the fact that those costs are relatively minor. They'd claim that the precedents being set don't matter, because they were set by all those other counties throughout history already. The claim would be that while China may be breaking the rule de jure, the de facto playbook has already been written by convention.
raxxorrax 5y ago
> China is playing an extremely asymmetric game. As almost all companies that relied on their productivity to get ahead. China does blatantly copy tech in some cases. Companies accepted that risk. Of course it is good for China to copy the technology, it is not that other nations are exempt from industrial espionage. That they do it so openly is due to the leverage they have.

croes 5y ago

https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20180313/10404539417/us-navy-accused-massive-amounts-piracy-german-software-company.shtml https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20180313/10404539417/us-na... It's only piracy if others do it, isn't it.

azinman2 5y ago
No, it's wrong for anyone. And in this case, the German company has recourse to actually sue the US military, and with plenty of history backing this up, can actually win! Good luck trying to sue the Chinese military for contract breach of installing software on more computers than specified... Further, note that this is an instance of piracy versus IP theft that then directly competes with the original source, as a coordinated playbook with government support to advance local industries. It's pretty much apples & oranges.

woopwoop 5y ago

Do you feel the same way about pirating music or television shows?

lanternfish 5y ago

I think the commenter would agree with most of what you're saying - I just don't think they care. The argument would be that raising the quality of life of the Chinese citizen through accelerated economic development as brought on by IP theft outweighs the costs of the theft due to the fact that those costs are relatively minor. They'd claim that the precedents being set don't matter, because they were set by all those other counties throughout history already. The claim would be that while China may be breaking the rule de jure, the de facto playbook has already been written by convention.

raxxorrax 5y ago

> China is playing an extremely asymmetric game. As almost all companies that relied on their productivity to get ahead. China does blatantly copy tech in some cases. Companies accepted that risk. Of course it is good for China to copy the technology, it is not that other nations are exempt from industrial espionage. That they do it so openly is due to the leverage they have.