Cartoon 711: Dragon Ascended

America has pressed its subsuming legality on the world. It has used its market clout to force nations that wish to sell in the American market to recognize American sovereignty within their own borders.

American businesses have been in a gold rush to lock up copyrights and patents.  The intent is to maintain their dominant incumbent status in the world. They have also gobbled up rivals and become gargantuan.  Liberal American patents have blocked pathways to innovation by others.  It has created American owned fiefdoms. This is particularly chafing to emerging nations.

As American power wanes, its ability to force quasi-legality will be circumvented, ignored or questioned. A formal declaration will likely come from China at some point. China will say that it is going to define the extent to which patents and copyrights apply within its nation, which will differ from that proffered by American legality. China might even go so far as to say the companies must apply for patents and copyrights there. Likely India and Brazil will follow China.