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How many of us complaining here have been to these foreign countries??? I'm not a proponent of everything that's happening, but do we know the full story before we begin spouting words? First off, it's not necessarily patent infringement just because something is being copied. Unless it has an international patent, it's not an issue to copy and bring the things back here. it just can't be copied here in or anywhere else it's covered. My research group has a few patents and I've become quite familiar with this process. Which brings me to the rest. Many times a lot of other countries are more willing to experiment and try new things. In my field, companies are very unwilling to try new things - even when they've been tested, proven, certified, and tested some more. We can complain all we want about petroleum prices and such, but we still have it easier than others. While companies can get away with it, they're still pushing petroleum-based products. it's the other countries that are trying new things and accepting them as PART of their future. Yes China (AND OTHERS) are beginning to buy more and more of the petroleum that in the past we have had a stronghold on. At the same time though, those same countries are experimenting with and producing lots of 'green' products and green technology. It's my field, and I've taken tours of many of these countries that started adopting newer technologies - it's fascinating and exciting to see. What we as Americans truly need, is a shift in thinking both of how we view others and how we view ourselves and our industries. Not only question where things come from, but what they COME FROM. It's the consumers that need to demand changes in both forums like the other countries have pursued from the start.
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