Fwiw, they also had their tea monopoly stolen by the British in the 1800s [1]. Additionally, the US turned a blind eye to its own theft of Europe's IP in the 1

Fwiw, they also had their tea monopoly stolen by the British in the 1800s [1]. Additionally, the US turned a blind eye to its own theft of Europe's IP in the 1800s and early 1900s as we were developing. Not that we shouldn't defend against it when used against us, but it seems par for the course for developing nations to catch up this way. [1]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tea#Origin_and_history http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tea#Origin_and_history