Donald Trump On Intellectual Property: China Is Bad

from the huh? dept

Tue, Aug 9th 2016 10:43am — Mike Masnick

As you may have heard, in an effort to refocus his Presidential campaign, this week, Donald Trump erased his original economic plan (literally, it just disappeared from his website) and launched a brand new plan with a speech in Detroit. The speech came across as a mishmash of semi-random ideas, pulled from whatever that crazy list of folks he's calling his advisors are these days. However, for the folks around here, what may be interesting is that this is really the first time I can recall Trump even mentioning intellectual property, and his entire summary of it is basically "China bad, we need more protection."

At the center of my plan is trade enforcement with China. This alone could return millions of jobs into our country. They break the rules in every way imaginable. China engages in illegal export subsidies, prohibited currency manipulation, and rampant theft of intellectual property. They also have no real environmental or labor protections, further undercutting American workers. Just enforcing intellectual property rules alone could save millions of American jobs. According to the U.S. International Trade Commission, improved protection of America's intellectual property in China would produce more than 2 million more jobs right here in the United States. Add to that the saved jobs from cracking down on currency cheating and product dumping, and we will bring trillions of dollars in new wealth and wages back to the United States.

These are kind of old and obsolete talking points. China has been ramping up its intellectual property enforcement over the past few years after many, many years of the US screaming about Chinese copycats. Except, as we've noted, our own government's shortsighted focus on "stopping IP theft in China" actually handed China a fantastic tool to enable on-the-sly protectionism against foreign companies. China has begun "respecting" intellectual property in the form of building up a massive patent portfolio and then suing foreign companies (mainly American) and winning.

The trade deals that the US has been negotiating historically won't help stop that. They'll only encourage more of it. Of course, it's doubtful that Trump really cares about or understands the policy implications of this. I doubt he cares at all about intellectual property. This was just a new speech for him to give in an effort to refocus the campaign from the non-stop ridiculous comments last week to try to sound more serious this week and to pretend there's an actual plan.

Of course, Hillary Clinton's intellectual property platform is a complete joke too, but it feels like War & Peace compared to what little Trump has said on the subject. And people wonder why our new t-shirt about the election is selling so well...

Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.

Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.

While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.

–The Techdirt Team

Filed Under: china, donald trump, intellectual property, tpp, trade agreements

48 Comments

If you liked this post, you may also be interested in...

Reader Comments

Subscribe: RSS

View by: Time | Thread

Anonymous Coward, 9 Aug 2016 @ 10:50am

So now Techdirt supports TPP?
[ link to this | view in thread ]
David, 9 Aug 2016 @ 11:06am

Re:
I see as much support for passing TPP in that article as for baptizing rabid space gophers.

Though I cannot help the suspicion that the latter course of action would do more for improving the quality of the comment section.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Baron von Robber, 9 Aug 2016 @ 11:09am

. .
.. .
. . .
Damn, I can't make these dots connect. You are going to have to explain.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
DannyB (profile), 9 Aug 2016 @ 11:11am

Dear Mr. Trump: Just build a wall around China
If the Chinese don't like the wall, then we'll build it higher. And we'll make them pay for it.

This will be the best wall ever. And believe me, I know my walls. Everyone will just love it. I will build you the best wall you've ever seen, trust me on this. I know what I'm talking about when it comes to walls. Classy beautiful walls. Make America Respected Again! This will make other countries take notice and respect America. Believe me, I know what I'm talking about.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
DannyB (profile), 9 Aug 2016 @ 11:14am

Make the playing field more level
How about making the field level in a different way?

Instead of pushing China into more IP laws. How about us having less?

And we could start with Copyright, which has many problems.

But the counter productive patent system should get some attention too.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
David, 9 Aug 2016 @ 11:19am

Re: Dear Mr. Trump: Just build a wall around China
Building a wall around China seems like carrying coals to Birmingham. The Chinese Wall is already the only(?) human-built structure discernible with the naked eye from orbit. Maybe Trump can get a head start by swapping that wall for the Democratic Party? I think the Chinese have a shortage of parties, particularly democratic ones. And I don't think that Trump would want to keep that one anyway.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 9 Aug 2016 @ 11:21am

"The trade deals that the US has been negotiating historically won't help stop that. They'll only encourage more of it."

Where did these trade deals come from and who currently supports them? Oh, why, someone named Clinton. Lets criticize Trump which supports Clinton who bring more of the same.

Hillary will continue Obama's legacy, she has said it, Obama has said it. We want TPP? We want less transparency in our government? We want reporters investigated, and those that talk to the media from within the government thrown in jail?

As for the walls, how about enforcing the laws we have on the books? In terms of immigration, we don't need new laws, we just need to enforce the laws that are already in place? When did it become OK to ignore laws? Oh, that is right, Hillary and Obama have no problem ignoring laws, like immigration laws, the Constitution and little things like that.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 9 Aug 2016 @ 11:23am

Of course, Hillary Clinton's intellectual property platform is a complete joke too, but it feels like War & Peace compared to what little Trump has said on the subject.

So, you prefer the long lie over the short lie? Hillary has been at this bullshit game far more than Trump. So her bag of wind is a lot bigger. Or if you switch this all in the context of minefields which would you then prefer? The large or the smaller one?

We are quibbling over two piles of shit like one somehow stinks less than the other.

Trump is pro big business and so is Hillary, the difference? The difference is the path each are taking to shit on America! At least with Trump I will be able to speak to my fellow passengers in my language as we descend to hell!
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 9 Aug 2016 @ 11:24am

David, the Chinese Wall can't be viewed with the naked eye from orbit. That is a myth.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
David, 9 Aug 2016 @ 11:27am

Re:
There are less believable myths Trump is willing to invest in.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 9 Aug 2016 @ 11:28am

Re: Make the playing field more level
In today's forecast there is a 0% chance of this happening.

Corruption(government), ignorance(both), and irresponsibility(citizens) have set in like a cancer.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Trails (profile), 9 Aug 2016 @ 11:48am

Re: Re: Dear Mr. Trump: Just build a wall around China
The Chinese Wall is already the only(?) human-built structure discernible with the naked eye from orbit.

Die, evil trope! Die! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Wall_of_China#Visibility_from_space
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 9 Aug 2016 @ 11:53am

Chinese IP theft happens
In the past I worked with a company that sold exactly 1 version of their product to China. Shortly after, there was a Chinese company selling that same thing inside China.

This was for a very complex, heavily engineered machine. The Chinese DO cheat and they cheat badly.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 9 Aug 2016 @ 11:57am

I have golf clubs that were manufactured in a plant in China. Same grips, same shafts, same club heads as Pings. None of them say Ping. Manufactured in the same plant, using the same materials as Pings are made. They manufacture for Ping until 6pm. At 6pm, they continue manufacturing the clubs but sell them under a generic brand.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
That One Guy (profile), 9 Aug 2016 @ 12:08pm

Re: Re:
Wait, you mean this article isn't about baptizing rabid space gophers? Dang, and here I had this nice comment about how it's best to leave the gophers to their own devices and live and let live(and more importantly avoid rabid space gopher bites), but now you tell me that that's not what the article is about guess I'll put it aside.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 9 Aug 2016 @ 12:14pm

Donald Trump translated
Via path through Google Translate [ English → Chinese (Simplified) → Zulu → Punjabi → Igbo → English ]:
I plan to sell Chinese law enforcement. This may in itself millions of workers in our country. They break the law every possible way. China rampant illegal foreign currency and currency manipulation including theft of intellectual property restrictions. They do not have a good environmental protection, conservation, and other weak to work. Just the implementation of intellectual property rules could save millions of American workers girl. According to the US International Trade Commission, China will be able to strengthen the protection of US intellectual property rights, the other 2 million users in the United States of America. Fraud and saves the strike exchange products, we present a new animal, and the United States, there will be billions of dollars.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 9 Aug 2016 @ 12:43pm

Re: Make the playing field more level
How about making the field level in a different way?

Instead of pushing China into more IP laws. How about us having less?

"I felt a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of I.P. lawyers suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
That One Guy (profile), 9 Aug 2016 @ 12:53pm

Winning the battle but losing the war
I don't think anyone is claiming otherwise, instead the point is that the idea that if the US can just get China to 'respect' imaginary property more it'll solve the problem is heavily flawed and not going to work at best.

Instead what's happened is China started 'respecting' copyright/patents to the tune of lawsuits against any foreign competitors, using the system for their own gain at the cost of companies from elsewhere, and in such a manner that the US really doesn't have a foot to stand on and be taken seriously.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
David, 9 Aug 2016 @ 1:14pm

Re: Donald Trump translated
I can't decide whether this is to the credit of Google Translate or to xenophobia and hate being a universally available constant cemented into everybody's language foundations, but this speech makes about as much sense as it did before the roundtrip. You could probably route it through chmpanzee grimacing without much loss.

I'd say that it's sad what this says about the state of humanity, but then the Republican Party nomination already makes a statement about that.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 9 Aug 2016 @ 1:49pm

Re: Re: Donald Trump translated
Everyone is biased, Trump is no more biased or racist than Hillary.

Hillary hates black America and so does Obama. All you need to fool Black America is pay off a few NAACP thugs and every other Black American is supposed to fall in line like good little slaves. If you don't, then you get to be an Uncle Tom!

Judge a person by the fruits of their labors and not by the words coming out of their mouths. If you do that you will find more racism coming from the "Party" that "claims" to hate it most! Funny how that works! Of course all you need to do to fool a democrat is speak words promising bread crumbs from the Elite's burgeoning tables, you don't have to live up to shit!

You can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make the bigot understand they are a bigot! And you damn sure cannot make a party sheeple see reason.

Hillary is a Rich White Person cut from the very cloth Black America claims to hate!
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 9 Aug 2016 @ 2:00pm

Re: Re: Re: Donald Trump translated
So many words, so little value.

You want to influence others? Perhaps some data, some analysis of said data ... oh screw it - just continue with your ill informed ranting.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 9 Aug 2016 @ 2:04pm

Re: Re: Re: Re: Donald Trump translated
Take a drive through any Black Community and see how they have been doing under Obama, an America Hillary claims she will continue. Listen to a few angry Black Americans. Just open your fucking eyes!

If that is not enough proof, then there never will be. So yea, go ahead and keep being an Ostrich. The dirt must be great where you live!
[ link to this | view in thread ]
David, 9 Aug 2016 @ 2:43pm

Re: Re: Re: Donald Trump translated
Ok, so the chimpanzee grimacing translation does read significantly different in spite of containing about the same substance.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
That One Guy (profile), 9 Aug 2016 @ 2:49pm

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Donald Trump translated
Take a drive through any Black Community and see how they have been doing under Obama, an America Hillary claims she will continue.

And how does it compare to the state of things during the previous president? Or the one before that? If you're going to lay blame on a particular person you kinda have to point out what they've done to cause or influence the problem, you can't just say 'Things are bad during their term, therefor it's their fault' without making that connection.

Blame them for not doing enough to improve conditions by all means if things are bad, but if you're going to go so far as to claim that they hate a particular group you really need to show action and intent, rather than inaction and/or negligence/indifference.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 9 Aug 2016 @ 3:04pm

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Donald Trump translated
So explain how a Trump administration will differ. Will he fund schools that have had budgets slashed at the state level? Will he reform the police departments that have shown outright defiance to any reform? Or how about our inadequate mass transit?
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 9 Aug 2016 @ 3:14pm

2 Million jobs for respecting intellectual property ! Wow, I would like to see how that works out...
[ link to this | view in thread ]
James Burkhardt (profile), 9 Aug 2016 @ 3:53pm

Re:
Lets just ignore the fact that for months leading up to Obama issuing his Executive orders on Immigration, Republicans had constantly rejected any type of Immigration reform, and then demanded obama solve immigration reform. So he did.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Samuel Abram (profile), 9 Aug 2016 @ 4:09pm

Re: Re: Make the playing field more level
I have a great feeling one of Disney's lawyers is going to send you a C&D for paraphrasing Star Wars…
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 9 Aug 2016 @ 4:24pm

Re:
Trump is throwing dots everywhere. The problem is that noone can connect them to coherent or logical ideas.

It seems more than anything, that a vote for Trump is a vote against whatever Trump says it is against.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 9 Aug 2016 @ 4:57pm

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Donald Trump translated
Because things had been so peachy during all prior administrations, and then Obummer came along - amirite?

Thanks Obummer
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 9 Aug 2016 @ 5:14pm

Mike Masnick you Fucking Shill.
So for one, don't tell me a political candidate has launched a whole new platform in a speech, then fail to link to it on their website because that is just lazy. You know Trump doesn't script his speeches or have a specific communication plan, and if you expect in the day and age of 100 point platforms any one human being is going to be able to keep it all together, you are nuts.

Lets contrast these candidates platforms fairly in their own words on their own websites.

Here's Trumps published platform on China:
http://lmgtfy.com/?q=trumps+platform+on+china&l=1#seen

Here's Hilliary's published platform which has some economic stuff in it but nothing specific on China or IP:
http://lmgtfy.com/?q=+hillary+clinton%27s+platform&l=1#seen

The American Investor Class has, for the last 40+ years, used China to engage in wage arbitrage on the US Labor force. Specifically, they have pegged their currency to the US Dollar to ensure their per unit labor cost is always cheaper which drives US companies to their shores looking to expand, and when they come, there are continuous concessions aimed at taking the US companies for everything they've got and then some. China has effectively bribed the investor class into this arrangement and it has a substantial impact on honest American companies trying to play by the book because it forces them into the untenable position of either giving the Chinese the keys to the castle or dieing.

Short Case Study. Dell outsourced to Acer, HP outsourced to ASUS, and IBM Outsourced to Lenovo for their PC manufacturing business. Who owns those businesses lock stock and barrel and are now competing directly in the United States against the companies they used to supply with technology invented and refined here? You would figure in a perfectly functioning international patent system that those companies arm's wouldn't get twisted.

You want an intellectual-sounding soundbyte that doesn't sound like it was drummed up by the Sub-80 IQ Crowd, here it is: "Trump Lays out economic plan to level the playing field with China, Investor class on both sides of the Pacific freak out". There's the truth.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 9 Aug 2016 @ 6:28pm

Re:
Yawn.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 9 Aug 2016 @ 6:55pm

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Donald Trump translated
Democrats run on a platform for helping the poor, by stealing from the rich.

They do not actually help them, they just add to their ranks. This is a perfect example of being able to fool the fools. Keep promising and doing nothing, it's working great so far!
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 9 Aug 2016 @ 6:57pm

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Donald Trump translated
So wait... keep doing what has already proven to have failed?

No one can know what a Trump admin will bring. But we already know what Hillary will bring because she has a track record to go on and plenty of words saying she will stay the Obama course which was the Bush course.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 9 Aug 2016 @ 7:00pm

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Donald Trump translated
Actually thank your fellow citizens for things being in the crapper.

Americans are so corrupt that we will keep a corrupt politician in office because the citizens are getting crumbs knocked off the table towards them.

The real problem is more about the fact that the corrupt bastards in Congress keep keeping their jobs. That is more of a problem than electing Hitler as President.

I know most of you idiots can see these things but that is why we are in this position to begin with.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
techflaws (profile), 9 Aug 2016 @ 11:31pm

Just for giggles watch Trump exposes Trump. Dont forget to admire the Trump supporters claiming he "changed his position" when he also claimed to never have talked to/spoke of a person before when he clearly did.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 10 Aug 2016 @ 2:17am

That would have been something before Chinese giants like Tencent started buying patent portfolios wholesale. China has learned the rules of the game and they're now playing them against the US.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 10 Aug 2016 @ 2:55am

Re:
Maybe Trump will persist in his "China is Bad" direction when China sues the US in the equivalent of East Texas and set a precedent.

...What? A guy can dream.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
me@me.net, 10 Aug 2016 @ 4:51am

further proof
Rodent Head is a Cheetoe Faced Shit Gibbon
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 10 Aug 2016 @ 5:44am

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Donald Trump translated
Steal from the rich ... who stole it from the poor.

I think you have overlooked the "help" rich folk get from our esteemed government. You want to stop what some call entitlements? Lets start with removal of all corporate subsidy, including their poverty wage policies which require government supplement paid by taxes of course.

You need to dig deeper into bullshit mountain.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 10 Aug 2016 @ 5:47am

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Donald Trump translated
No, no and no.

Trump will have none of that. He will however allow the continued rape of this country's people and resources.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 10 Aug 2016 @ 5:50am

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Donald Trump translated
"So yea, go ahead and keep being an Ostrich. The dirt must be great where you live!"

Ignorance is bliss.
(Ostrichs do not put their heads in the dirt when frightened)
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 10 Aug 2016 @ 5:51am

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Donald Trump translated
Yup, anyone with whom you disagree is an idiot.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 10 Aug 2016 @ 8:00am

Is Donald an idiot? Of course, he says things he shouldn't say, but his main points are actually pretty good. Can anyone that is hated by both the Democratic and Republican Parties be a bad thing?

Build a wall? Ummm, we already have a fence, and what is wrong with wanting to enforce the laws we already have on the books? If you want immigration, then change the law.

Not let Muslims in? Stupid statement, but not letting in a bunch of people from countries that don't like us and not being able to verify who would actually come in is just common sense. Look at Germany, France and Belgium.

Abandon NATO partners if invaded by Russia is a stupid comment, but getting other countries to actually pay for the defense of their country actually makes sense. Should we allow other countries to spend very little on their military and expect us to bail them out?

Trade agreements? I doubt many here support TPP.

Does anyone believe Hillary will be tough on banks? Wall Street wasn't giving her all that money because she is their enemy.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
John Fenderson (profile), 10 Aug 2016 @ 10:17am

Re:
"Can anyone that is hated by both the Democratic and Republican Parties be a bad thing?"

Easily.

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend" has never actually been true.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 10 Aug 2016 @ 11:13am

Re:
Murder your opponent? --- is this really in question?
[ link to this | view in thread ]
mark david, 12 Aug 2016 @ 9:34pm

property
Maybe Trump will persist in his "China is Bad" direction when China sues the US in the equivalent of East Texas and set a precedent.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Mark Syman, 9 Dec 2016 @ 6:26am

IP in China is a joke
"China has been ramping up its intellectual property enforcement over the past few years"

Ramping up. What a joke. Everyone I know who has tried getting a patent in China says it's a complete waste of time and money.
[ link to this | view in thread ]