Intellectual Property Theft and its Impact on the US-China Relationship

Growing in frequency in recent years, theft of United States intellectual property by China has become a serious concern for the US government. This theft impacts many areas of US life including increased cost of goods, difficulty participating in international trade, and increased national security concerns. This paper looks at three areas of intellectual property theft: patent theft, copyright theft, and trade secret theft, using specific examples of each. In examining each of these examples, we discuss the implications of this theft for US citizens as well as the relationship between the United States and Chinese governments. This paper concludes that Chinese intellectual property theft has a significant negative impact on the relationship between China and the United States and should be curtailed appropriately by both governments