The problem with being the leader in intellectual property is that it's only as good as the legal enforcement and keeping it secret. You only get one or the other, and the funny thing about creating a need is that there's always another inventor or spy ready to fill it.
China has been investing all of our Halloween costume and Xmas toy money in universities, infrastructure and Africa while we invest in Sheetrock shanties with gold plated toilets, Crapft beer to fill them, shovel ready overpasses to football stadiums, Cowboy Cadillacs and Bitcoin.
World leader in Consumpstupid.