In recent weeks, several U.S. based news outlets have been covering a topic that has become increasingly popular amongst civilians due to the recent issue concerning North Korea’s government and their newly developed missile: Intellectual Property(IP). IP, to those who are not aware, is described by the World Intellectual Property Organization as “creations of the mind, such as inventions; literary and artistic works; designs; and symbols, names and images used in commerce.” What is the relation between China’s IP practices and the U.S. government’s recent exchange with North Korea? The U.S. government insists on using trade and an investigation on their IP practices as leverage in order to incentive the Chinese government to intervene into North Korea’s recent progress with their missile program that has proven to be a formidable threat to the U.S. as of late. What does a possible investigation on IP theft mean to the Chinese who use these “stolen” products on a daily basis? Let’s ask them.
After interviewing several Beijing natives on how they felt about this possible investigation on products so vital to their everyday lives, there were nearly identical thoughts and feelings shared amongst the interviewees. One of the initial reactions of the native speakers to the topic was that they felt that there was a possibility that if the U.S. government’s suspicion yields merit, then, in the upcoming years, they and their fellow countrymen wouldn’t have the opportunities to flourish in the advanced society that they have had for so long. Their concern stems from the fact that they are aware that if the investigation falls through, then the Chinese companies that allow nearly the entire population to benefit from all sorts of up-to-date technology won’t exist, and, therefore, the affordable, advanced lifestyle to many has instantly become a lifestyle granted to only the wealthiest within the population; they are forced to buy over-priced American bred products.
This issue truly seems to not only affect government officials, but will also affect over a billion civilians—an entire population. This affair is merely one component of many, so, if you considered this topic interesting, then I encourage you to look into this topic more because this war on IP theft between the U.S. and China, although recently becoming popular, dates as far back as 2015.