The NYT tells us that one of the main obstacles to the development of a high-tech sector in China is "weak intellectual property rights enforcement." How is this an obstacle? If China doesn't enforce intellectual property rights, then it means that its scientists may freely duplicate protected inventions from all over the world. Logically, its unwillingness to enforce intellectual property rules should have no more impact on innovation in China than in any other country. For example, if inventors in China are willing to violate patent rules to copy a new computer chip, it should have no more disincentive to developing new computer chips in China than in developing new chips in the United States. In fact, its willingness to ignore these protectionist barriers should facilitate the development of China's tech sector, even if it is possible that it slows the development of technology worldwide.
--Dean Baker
