A new initiative from the Trump administration drew a decidedly halfhearted cheer from Silicon Valley last week.
Given the antipathy stirred up by the White House’s policies on immigration and several other issues, even that lukewarm welcome was more than what the current administration has been accustomed to. But this was an issue close to the technology world’s heart, and it might have been expected to draw a far more enthusiastic welcome.
The occasion was commerce secretary Wilbur Ross’s announcement of an investigation into how China acquires US intellectual property. American companies have long complained about being forced to hand over IP in return for market access, and of losing control of it to outright theft.