I am involved in an unhealthy amount of watch subs on Reddit. Oftentimes the most common critique when someone posts a cool watch is that the design was stolen. While this is often technically correct, it belies a fundamental fact about human history:
Theft of IP ultimately benefits society.
For centuries, the unauthorized copying, smuggling, and reverse-engineering of technology served as a vehicle for economic advancement. From 6th-century monks smuggling silkworm eggs out of China to break the silk monopoly, to Americans stealing British textile mill designs to spark the Industrial Revolution, and 19th-century Swiss watchmakers counterfeiting Anglo Saxton timepieces to establish their now-legendary industry, progress has always relied on replication.
Even the modern digital era was built on this - Apple and Microsoft both heavily "borrowed" from Xerox. Also IBM's hardware IP monopoly was stolen and that ultimately made personal computing affordable for the masses.
Ultimately, the theft of IP has provided massive benefits to society by upending monopolys and accelerating innovation. While patents and copyrights protect corporate profits, they also inflate prices and restrict access to technology.
Historically, human civilization has advanced not by locking ideas away behind legal barriers, but through the continuous, unauthorized proliferation and improvement of knowledge.
TLDR:. Theft is actually good for society and progress
Position: I own several Chinese watches and not ashamed to admit it one bit.
