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Chinese tech firm flirts with Seagate

28 Aug 2007 11:54

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So what... 

By Eduard Coli
Posted Tuesday 28th August 2007 13:28 GMT

Any technology already made in the PRC has to be considered available to the PRC.

It is an unwritten rule that if you move your production to the PRC and the govenrment and especially the military wants access to some patent or design and you refuse you will have problems with worker strikes and most likely will get thrown out and your assets nationalized. Even above board you can't get away from it as many companies in the PRC require a government board member.

Then there is outright IP theft.

There was an example of a German machine tool company that had a lathe produced by a contractor in the PRC only to find a duplicate of their design at a trade show produced by the same company contracted by them.

Morale of the story,

Any company that moves production to the workers paradise that is the PRC is creating their own competition.

No company or government can expect proper treatment of sensitive data by any company that has production in the PRC.

Like for like 

By Anonymous Coward
Posted Tuesday 28th August 2007 13:52 GMT

How delightful that the US gubmint is so concerned about others (in this case China) being able to do to it, what it routinely does to every other country on the planet (plant backdoors in code allowing their own spooks in). Enjoy a bit of your own medicine there Uncle Sam and learn what it's like for the rest of us!

Here we go again 

By John Bailey
Posted Tuesday 28th August 2007 14:11 GMT

Is there anything that ISN'T a threat to American National security?

Abusing the dDutch Initiative is a self inflicted wound? 

By amanfromMars
Posted Tuesday 28th August 2007 14:31 GMT

"It’s a worry for US authorities who, according to the Times, would see such a deal as a risk to national security by exposing high technology to China."

There is an untenable and arrogant presumption in that statement that high technology "belongs" to the US ....which would not be the case if IT were developed in China.

With China in a position to spend dollars, the People's Republic would seem to be an ideal location for new higher technologies. I wonder whom one would contact about that.

Now where did I put that "Mandarin made Easy" hyperlink?

@Eduard Coli 

By Chris W
Posted Tuesday 28th August 2007 14:59 GMT

"No company or government can expect proper treatment of sensitive data by any company that has production in the PRC."

Er, you mean unlike airline passenger data, or international money transfer data and a host of other stuff collected by the US government?

@ amanfromMars 

By Lee
Posted Tuesday 28th August 2007 15:01 GMT

That made sense. Taking your medicine again?

High technology does 

By Raheim Sherbedgia
Posted Tuesday 28th August 2007 16:20 GMT

belong to the US. Outside of minor advancements almost all high tech comes from American companies or their contractors. The US owns the Internet and most of the world's telecom and satellite infrastructure as well. In addition they are also the world leaders in the finance tech sector. Many of the tech advances (UK not included) from other countries are actually financed through the U.S. World or Ex-Im banks which underwrite R&D and manufacturing for a stake in the product.

For good or ill the U.S. is still the home of technological advancement. The PRC may overtake them one day but right now the PRC is just a big copy maching, replicating the work of the US.

@ Chris W 

By Eduard Coli
Posted Tuesday 28th August 2007 18:01 GMT

They give that stuff away for free but the PRC wants the US to pay to be ripped off.

buh? 

By ben edwards
Posted Wednesday 29th August 2007 02:28 GMT

I thought technology belonged to humanity, or at the very least the people who actually came up with it. How does that coexist with a statement of "high technology belongs to the US"? HT, as it is, knows no boundaries.

Hmmm 

By Ian
Posted Wednesday 29th August 2007 09:00 GMT

Dear Raheim Sherbedgia. Could it be that you are a troll?

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