> But the protection of intellectual property is what America is built on.

Is it? I recall the story of how the textile industry in America was built upon designs illegally smuggled out of Britain.

Also, the movie, auto, and aviation industries were all hobbled for years under patent lawsuits. It was so bad in the aviation business that development in the US pretty much ground to a standstill and the center for aviation progress switched over to Europe for a decade or two.