U.S. Should Stop Accusations on Intellectual Property Issues

19.5.25“中国盗窃知识产权论”可以休矣

Zhong Sheng

钟声

The accusations on China "stealing" intellectual property were initiated by the U.S. for the purpose of escalating economic and trade frictions and suppressing China in the disguise of justice. Recently, some people in the U.S. have been making such claims as the U.S. was "unfairly treated" while China gained "tremendous perks and advantages", and "China steals U.S. intellectual property".

最近，美国一些人在国际上到处哭天喊地地叫喊，“我们受到‘不公平待遇'，中国获得‘不公平优势'”“中国‘盗窃美国知识产权'”……摆出一副苦大仇深的样子。这种处心积虑炮制的“中国盗窃知识产权论”，实际上就是为了给自己大搞经贸摩擦、打压和阻遏中国发展披上“正义外衣”。微博@高斋翻硕 公众号高斋翻译学堂

Such voices are a continuation of the groundless allegations of the U.S. against China on the so-called infringement upon intellectual property in recent years. In March 2018, the U.S. released the Section 301 investigation, accusing China of hurting the interests of the U.S. regarding intellectual property issues. The claim, though agreed by few, has been talked about endlessly by the U.S. side. Just lately, another U.S. official made a similar claim, saying that China's intellectual property "theft" posed a challenge to trade negotiation. Although the U.S. side has been loud and seemingly have incontestable proof of what they were saying, facts are always facts, and such lies about China as "stealing intellectual property" can hardly make anyone believe.

这两年，美方屡次三番在知识产权问题上大做文章，无中生有地对中国进行指责。2018年3月，美国发布对华301调查报告，声称“中国在知识产权方面存在损害美国利益的行为”。尽管和者甚寡，美方却呱噪不休。近日又有美国官员说，“中国的知识产权盗窃行为对贸易谈判构成挑战”。虽然美方调门很高、跳得很高，信誓旦旦，言之凿凿，但事实就是事实，谎言代替不了真理，“中国盗窃知识产权”之类的妄言纯属捕风捉影，谁会相信呢？

Some American officials said that China has stolen hundreds of billions of dollars worth of intellectual property from the U.S. But many far-sighted people in the U.S. didn't buy the figure. People are confused about how the figure was calculated. It seems that the figure was not the result of calculation, but the brainchild of some genius who is good at making assumptions and exaggerating things. The saying that "repeating a lie a thousand times and it becomes the truth" seems to have been a true criterion for some people in the U.S.

有的美国官员煞有介事地宣称，中国盗窃美国知识产权“数千亿美元”。其实对于这个数字，很多美国有识之士也嗤之以鼻。人们实在猜不透，这样的数字是如何算出来的？！只能说这是某种具有超凡数字放大功能的天才大脑臆想出来的！曾几何时，有人说过，谎言说一千遍就是真理，看来美国有的人至今仍奉此为圭臬。微博@高斋翻硕 公众号高斋翻译学堂

Such unreliable figure can only be used as a proof by dishonest people. Take the Section 301 investigation for an example, the U.S. played multiple roles in the investigation, such as a party involved in the case, the police, a procurator, a jury, and a judge, willfully judging and criticizing other country's intellectual property situation. The U.S. made groundless accusations against China based on pure assumption while disregarding justice. If the report is based on imagined or selective data, it's a kind of science fiction novel The U.S. side knows the whole trick they are playing clearly. They are just looking for a seemingly righteous guise for their unreasonable attempts.

这种不靠谱的数字，只有不靠谱的人才干得出来。以“301调查”为例，美国身兼当事人、警察、检察官、陪审团、法官等多重角色，单方面对其他国家知识产权状况进行评判和指责，随心所欲，添油加醋，无中生有，靠的只是凭空假设，何来公正？如果调查基于想象以及选择性数据，那就是一种科幻小说了！美方对此心知肚明，只是想给自己的无理之举找一个冠冕堂皇的托词罢了。

Strengthening intellectual property protection is the most important part of improving property rights protection, which is also the greatest incentive to enhance China's economic competitiveness. After several decades of unremitting efforts at intensifying IPR protection in various aspects including perfecting social ideas, legal environment, and law enforcement, China has witnessed remarkable progress in IPR protection, which has been widely recognized by the international community. China has long been taking the initiative to protect the IPR, rather than merely responding to the demand for IPR protection.

加强知识产权保护。这是完善产权保护制度最重要的内容，也是提高中国经济竞争力最大的激励。经过几十年不懈努力，从社会观念到法治环境，再到实际的保护力度，中国的知识产权保护都取得了飞跃式进步，成效显著，举世公认。早已从“要我保护”发展到“我要保护”。微博@高斋翻硕 公众号高斋翻译学堂

By establishing a relatively complete and high-standard IPR legal system, and enhancing IPR juridical protection, China is now the country that has heard the most intellectual property cases, especially patent cases. In 2018, China paid $35.8 billion for foreign intellectual property, becoming the fourth largest patent buyer in the world. During the recent legal battle between Apple and Qualcomm, the two companies filed many of their lawsuits on patent licensing in China. Such practice indicated the trust held by American enterprises in China's efforts of IPR protection.

中国已建立起一套较为完备、高标准的知识产权法律体系，不断加强知识产权司法保护，成为世界上审理知识产权案件尤其是专利案件最多的国家。2018年，中国对外知识产权付费高达358亿美元，已成为全球第四大专利进口国。前不久发生的这件事，大家可能记忆犹新：苹果与高通间的专利许可费用之争，双方先后在中国提起大量诉讼。美国企业用实际行动告诉世界，信任中国对知识产权的保护。

Justice naturally inhabits men's hearts. China's endeavors to protect the IPR have gained more and more recognition from all over the world. The Economist posted an article on its website in February, saying "IP protection in China has improved at rocket speed of late". The article pointed out that Chinese firms are not serial intellectual-property thieves, and as they issue more patents, the keener they are to protect the IPs. Even the official reports by the U.S. government issued before 2016 confirmed China's achievements in IPR protection. However, in recent years, some people in the U.S. ignored the facts and did a complete turnabout to suppress China's development. Such moves are no other than slaps in their faces. Intellectual property should be a bridge for innovation and cooperation among the countries. In the hands of the U.S. it has become a political tool, a weapon to contain other countries, and a veil for bullying the world.

公道自在人心。中国的努力，正得到越来越多的认可。英国《经济学人》周刊网站刊发文章表示，中国的知识产权保护近年来得到飞速改善，中国不是知识产权的偷窃者，而是保护者。即便是2016年以前美国政府的官方报告，也积极肯定中国在知识产权保护方面取得的成绩。然而，近两年美国一些人却无视事实，来了一个基于反华中轴的大转弯，自己不断抽打自己的嘴巴，只能说他们是借保护知识产权之名，行政治打压之实。知识产权本应是各国创新合作的桥梁，在美方手中，却成了政治工具，成了遏制他国的武器，成了霸凌世界的遮羞布。微博@高斋翻硕 公众号高斋翻译学堂

During China's course of reform and opening-up, many foreign enterprises have conducted technological cooperation with China for their own interests. It is totally market-oriented practice from which the foreign companies have achieved rich profits. Though there were some problems in IPR protection, parties involved could always find a way to solve them through legal process. Waving the IPR "stick", the U.S. is denying the awareness of IPR and credit, the contract spirit, and the law of the market. Some people in the U.S. adhere to an absurd logic — they calculate how much they have in hand and then claim the astronomical figure to be "stolen" by others.

在中国改革开放过程中，不少外国企业从自身利益出发，同中国企业开展技术合作，这是市场契约行为，外国企业获得了众所周知的丰厚回报。即使知识产权保护出现问题，也完全可以通过法律途径自行解决。美方乱挥知识产权“大棒”，是对产权和信用意识的否定，对契约精神的否定，对市场规律的否定。一些美国人有个奇怪的逻辑，算算美国手中的东西值多少钱，最后就直接把这个天文数字的总和说成是被别人“盗窃”了。

Facts speak louder than words, just as truth always prevails. Anyone rational knows that there's no country in the world that has realized modernization through "stealing". If people ask the U.S. such questions as "has the U.S. developed itself by ‘stealing' and can the U.S. get developed by ‘stealing'", some people from the U.S. would be anxious to deny them immediately. Has the U.S. developed itself through stealing? Can the U.S. develop itself through stealing? The answers are probably negative from the mouths of the Americans. In a word, China's achievements are the precious fruit of the persistent and painstaking hard work of the Chinese people, and the people who make lies about it will finally come to no good.

事实胜于雄辩，真理走遍天下。记忆力健全的人都知道，世界上没有一个国家靠“盗窃”能实现现代化。人们不禁要问，美国是靠“盗窃”发展起来的吗？美国能靠“盗窃”发展起来吗？恐怕美国一些人是要急于否定的。一句话，中国发展成就是中国人踏踏实实干出来的。美国一些捕风捉影者，必将被强劲的东风吹下历史的舞台！微博@高斋翻硕 公众号高斋翻译学堂