Better than the real thing

ADVOCATES of democracy in Hong Kong celebrate the independence they have kept since the former British colony was handed back to China last year. But software companies are surely less enthusiastic: if nothing else, a People's Liberation-Army jackboot might deter the software pirates who are turning Hong Kong into the world's biggest intellectual-property offender. Hong Kong's customs officers have tried to crack down, but their actions are unlikely to have a lasting effect. On January 16th, dissatisfied American trade officials announced that the territory would remain on its “watch list” of trading miscreants, something that could eventually lead to trade sanctions.