Comment Re:This war is hundreds of years old. (Score 1) 260
The war is indeed hundreds of years old:
The silk trade was so valuable that anyone who tried to take silkworm eggs or mulberry seeds out of China was put to death. Then in 552 AD, two monks smuggled silkworm eggs to Constantinople, and silk production spread worldwide. Now that the secret’s out, we can safely talk about how silkworms and humans make luxurious silk cloth.
-- http://indianapublicmedia.org/amomentofscience/secrets-of-silk-production/
"The invention of gunpowder is usually attributed to Chinese alchemy, and is popularly listed as one of the "Four Great Inventions" of China. The invention was made perhaps as early as during the Tang Dynasty (9th century), but certainly by the Song Dynasty (11th century). Knowledge of gunpowder spread throughout the Old World as a result of the Mongol conquests of the 13th century. It was employed in warfare to some effect from at least the 14th century, although the development of effective artillery took place during the 15th century, and firearms came to dominate Early Modern warfare in Europe by the 17th century.
-- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_gunpowder
Perhaps the same for paper, printing, rockets, fine china, glazing? Not sure about bronze and iron working.
Then there are all of the traditional medicines and biodiversity around the world that is being trawled for patentable medical applications.
