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There wasn't a WTO and there weren't international trades laws, in the 1800s. Even then he wasn't working as an arm of the US government to deliberately steal IP to surpass the British empire technologically, which is what the Chinese are currently doing



> There wasn't a WTO and there weren't international trades laws, in the 1800s.

No, but what he was doing was still highly illegal.


Could you quote the relevant law from 18th century England that he broke?




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