Today’s Chicago Tribune reported on the four year sentence handed down in Federal court to Hanjuan Jin for stealing trade secrets. The case involved telecommunications technology stolen from Motorola (Ameet Sachdev, Tribune reporter).

In handing down the sentence, Judge Castillo said, “In today’s world, the most valuable thing that anyone has is technology. The most important thing this country can do is protect its trade secrets.”

A fine sentiment, however, this appears to be a simple case of theft. Trade secrets or diamonds, the point is that something was stolen.

For more than 25 years, American industry happily transferred its technology (trade secrets) to foreign entities. We told them what to make and how to make it. And in the process we enabled them to develop their own capacity to innovate.

Where is the court of competent jurisdiction for that “theft” of trade secrets?