Orrin Hatch: “Well, of course it would. I thank Senator Coons. He has asked what really is the critical question. If I were a CEO…”

“Well, of course it would. I thank Senator Coons. He has asked what really is the critical question. If I were a CEO responsible to my shareholders, I could not, according to my fiduciary duties, make those investments if rogue employees could just take off and render those investments worthless. Trade secret theft does not just affect manufacturing. I read recently an interesting article in the New Republic titled ``Corn Wars'' that provides a detailed account of how China is stealing proprietary corn seeds from America's farms. Most corn in China is used as a feed for livestock. That was not a problem until the country's middle class acquired an appetite for meat. Given this new demand, China is trying desperately to increase corn production amidst its water shortage and lack of arable land. That is where our country's intellectual property comes in. Rather than spend the time and resources to develop a hybrid corn seed of its own, China would rather steal, literally right out of the ground, America's high-performing seeds. Experts from America's top seed producers confirmed that acquiring the technology behind a specially designed line of seed is equivalent to 5 to 8 years of research and at least $40 million. You better believe the Chinese know the value of the seeds they steal and the numerous crimes they are committing while in our country.…”