In fact, "copycat" mainly destroys our country's research and development capabilities.
We know that China has been at the forefront of world civilization for most of its five thousand years of history. However, after the Age of Discovery, China gradually fell behind and was even defeated by Western powers in modern times, losing power and humiliating the country.
This phenomenon is the result of our insufficient attention to intellectual property rights.
Intellectual property rights mainly include copyrights, patent rights and trademark rights. Its main function is to protect the rights of possession, use, profit and disposal of the fruits of intellectual labor. Because most intellectual labor is intangible, and the infringement on it can also be intangible. However, the subjects who perform intellectual work need material help, which simply means food, clothing, housing, transportation, entertainment, etc.
For example, if someone invents a gunpowder gun, in the West, he can organize production and then sell it to obtain profits, or he can get returns by selling his technology. With intellectual property protection, he can also sell the gunpowder gun. Technology is leased (licensed) to collect rent (royalty). The people who buy and lease are professionals and belong to different groups. They know the value of this thing and the consideration paid is excellent. As a result, the R&D personnel suddenly become rich overnight. Wealth can be passed on to future generations (Nobel is an example), thereby promoting the R&D passion of inventors and related personnel. Then it is possible to invent matchlocks, flintlock guns, rifles, modern rifles, machine guns... thus enabling the rapid development of the Western firearms industry.
In China, a once-in-a-century wizard invented a gunpowder gun. Since the production belonged to the government (that is, the emperor), he could only sell (dedicate) it to the emperor. The emperor may not be professional in firearms and could only serve as a gunpowder gun. It is a "little trick" to play with, and the consideration (reward) paid is arbitrary, and it may be just a false title of third-grade official, fourth-grade official, or even eighth-grade official or ninth-grade official. In addition, technical staff do not know how to be an official and do not know how to make money. They may only serve one or two terms and then lose it (poor evaluation results). The cost of being an official is different between him and those scholars who rely on studying to gain fame (it cost a lot of money to sell houses and land when investing in research and development). China does not have a patent system, and he did not receive corresponding returns in the production of weapons, but he did In the past few years, the official income has been unable to make ends meet (official salaries in ancient China have never been high, and officials mainly rely on black income). So life fell into trouble. With such an example of failure, it is certainly impossible to stimulate the enthusiasm of technicians for research and development. When weapons are further developed and upgraded, there will only be the emergence of a rare genius in the next century.
[Reposted from Jagged Community /]
This is the case for weapons, and the fate of other production processes is also similar.
Because of this, the West attaches special importance to the protection of intellectual property rights. When China joined the WTO a few years ago, disputes over intellectual property rights triggered large-scale discussions. At that time, many Chinese people did not understand that you, Bill Gates, were already so rich, but we were so poor that we couldn’t afford to eat and copied some of your software. How could you compete with us? This is not only a struggle for interests, but also the maintenance of the system. You only see thieves eating meat, but not thieves being beaten. How many people, manufacturers, and groups have lost everything, gone bankrupt, and closed down in order to develop a technology, an invention, a plan, or an idea (the satellite phone company in the United States is an example) , mainly because they have intellectual property protection. Just like the Chinese uprising back then, although everyone had to be executed if they failed, once they succeeded, the rate of return was quite high.
After the popularization and crackdown on the protection of intellectual property rights in recent years, now we no longer dare to infringe on foreign intellectual property rights, or we dare not infringe blatantly. However, domestic awareness of intellectual property protection has not yet improved. Some of our local governments believe that as long as they can increase GDP, they don't care about intellectual property rights. This is an act of eagerness for quick success and will seriously destroy our yet-to-be-formed R&D capabilities.
Just imagine, a certain manufacturer spent tens or hundreds of millions of yuan, or even tens of thousands of yuan, to develop a technology (perhaps this technology is very simple, just a layer of window paper, which will break with just one touch, but why didn't you think of it? Just like drawing a line on a machine, it costs one dollar to draw the line (it costs nine hundred and ninety-nine dollars to know where to draw it). You just go up and use it. They don't get corresponding rewards, and they may lose money in continued research and development. Difficulties arise, or even loss of interest. And since you didn't put any effort into getting it this time (maybe you just spent tens of thousands of dollars to hire a technician with no professional ethics and low skills), you will just wait and wait for the next rabbit to come.
: "Copycat mobile phones", the regular manufacturers are all white-collar workers in suits and ties, how much is the salary alone? How many people have worked hard to finally develop a function! You come here and use it, and you sell it cheaper than others. Why do these white-collar workers study what they eat? I'll study a few more functions and I'll make you happy, and I'll be surprised by the northwest wind. ,
"Copycat food" not only harms the economic interests of genuine manufacturers, but also harms the health of Chinese people. When I was at Beijing West Railway Station, I basically never bought the real "Master Kong". The market was flooded with "Kangshuai 130", "Master Geng" and "Master Tang". Not only did they taste terrible, but they sometimes even broke my stomach.
"Copycat Spring Festival Gala", CCTV spent more than thirty years and billions of funds (never mind where the funds came from) to form a new folk custom, don't care whether the show is right or not to your liking. (Maybe your appetite is a little special). If you just add the word "shanzhai" to it, it will be used. Of course, the popularity will increase quickly. If there is no Spring Festival Gala, it will be useless not to mention "shanzhai" but also "Waganzhai"!
I hope our government will fulfill its responsibilities as soon as possible and stop allowing "copycat" products to spread. From a small perspective, it is saving various industries in a difficult situation; from a big perspective, it is Saving our national rejuvenation plan.