China Blocks Foreign Companies From Mapping Roads for Self-Driving Cars

[DooKey]

China has stopped foreign car companies from mapping their roads with any kind of detail because they are concerned with spying. Any car company that wants to sell a self-driving car in China is going to have to partner with a domestic company from this point forward if they want to be able to get maps that are good enough for their cars. You have to admit this is ironic since China has this annoying habit of gaining IP from others, but are now concerned they are going to be spied upon. However, the market is just too large over there for anyone to ignore and I suspect China is going to get their way on this.

Foreign automakers that want to build cars in China have to partner with a local automaker. This arrangement has led to concerns over the theft of intellectual property, although many companies have complied in order to gain access to a large enough share of the world's biggest new-car market. A notable exception has been Tesla, although it appears the company may be moving closer to a deal to manufacture cars in China on its terms.

 

[viscountalpha]

This laughable. This is also the work of government corruption where they want their people to do it. Expect their own poorly constructed online maps.

 

[Gasaraki_]

Then just do that over here in the US. Seems logical.

 

[Lakados]

Then just do that over here in the US. Seems logical.

As fun as US/China trade war would be to watch there is no need for it, China doesn't really operate any mapping or high tech firms in North America independently they instead work closely with large companies here. It's a far more efficient method of IP acquisition than most other methods and falls more into a legal grey area instead of an outright theft.

 

[katanaD]

LOL

china.. continues to steal from the greedy, and they line up for it no less.

 

[WBurchnall]

The nerve....a country forcing foreign companies to do business with domestic companies creating business and jobs for domestic companies and it's citizens as by-product. The shame... don't they know, they are supposed to let foreign companies come in and dominate the local market unimpeded? Maybe even helping them by signing 40 year contracts with foreign companies giving them exclusive rights to their natural resources? Geez, some people's governments. China could learn a lesson or two from Canada and more specifically BC's government.

Making jobs in their own country. For shame...high-tech jobs even....geez.

 

[PantherBlitz]

I suppose satellites are not allowed to fly over China. That's how they keep their roads secret LOL

 

[Spidey329]

I don't think this is about spying on them, it's about forcing these other companies to "partner" with a local company so said local company can gain the IP of the foreign partner. They'll then kick them to the curb once they're caught up.

 

[Dead Parrot]

Why waste money on research when you can make copies?

 

[Ragenrok]

The nerve....a country forcing foreign companies to do business with domestic companies creating business and jobs for domestic companies and it's citizens as by-product. The shame... don't they know, they are supposed to let foreign companies come in and dominate the local market unimpeded? Maybe even helping them by signing 40 year contracts with foreign companies giving them exclusive rights to their natural resources? Geez, some people's governments. China could learn a lesson or two from Canada and more specifically BC's government.

Making jobs in their own country. For shame...high-tech jobs even....geez.

haha thank you, I was just getting ready to post the same thing. All I ever hear is people bitching about giving job's to foreigners yet the second a foreign company does just that for their own people its some evil stupid thing lol

 

[tempertantrum]

I don't think this is about spying on them, it's about forcing these other companies to "partner" with a local company so said local company can gain the IP of the foreign partner. They'll then kick them to the curb once they're caught up.

This is exactly what I was just saying on the post about the China competitor for the Model X. From that post:

"Yeah, but Chinese standards and tolerances are... not nearly as tight. I know a ton of engineers who worked for companies that made things in China, only to have the Chinese factory managers either skimp out on or substitute cheaper parts/processes, or even come to them and say, "hey, give us the full schematics and we'll build it for cheaper and you can go home." (If you say no, eventually, they shut you down for some technicality, and then reopen a company without out you.)

Edit: TL;DR: at least with American companies involved you get more oversight."

 

[GlowingGhoul]

The nerve....a country forcing foreign companies to do business with domestic companies creating business and jobs for domestic companies and it's citizens as by-product. The shame... don't they know, they are supposed to let foreign companies come in and dominate the local market unimpeded? Maybe even helping them by signing 40 year contracts with foreign companies giving them exclusive rights to their natural resources? Geez, some people's governments. China could learn a lesson or two from Canada and more specifically BC's government.

Making jobs in their own country. For shame...high-tech jobs even....geez.

Sanctimonious turd. The Chinese REQUIRE foreign companies work with their local companies to facilitate IP theft. The government sponsors "Technology Transfer Centers" as clearinghouses for stolen technology, accessible by Chinese firms. Clearly you want to see countries that have invested in liberal democracies, high standards of living, and advanced education punished at the hands of the Chinese Communists who are incapable of innovation.

 

[gulguran]

China has stopped foreign car companies from mapping their roads with any kind of detail because they are concerned with spying. Any car company that wants to sell a self-driving car in China is going to have to partner with a domestic company from this point forward if they want to be able to get maps that are good enough for their cars. You have to admit this is ironic since China has this annoying habit of gaining IP from others, but are now concerned they are going to be spied upon. However, the market is just too large over there for anyone to ignore and I suspect China is going to get their way on this.

Foreign automakers that want to build cars in China have to partner with a local automaker. This arrangement has led to concerns over the theft of intellectual property, although many companies have complied in order to gain access to a large enough share of the world's biggest new-car market. A notable exception has been Tesla, although it appears the company may be moving closer to a deal to manufacture cars in China on its terms.

The nanosecond we say that we aren't allowing trade they will do whatever we want. We already validated their horrible human rights by allowing them to flood us with crap goods, the least we can do is now use it against them to try and make the world a better place. The reality is money > all, shame is something we only used to have as a country.

 

[kandrey89]

You are assuming that self-driving cars will required a mapped out route, the point of self-driving is that it can recognize the road and use an existing map to orient and navigate itself.

 

[M76]

You are assuming that self-driving cars will required a mapped out route, the point of self-driving is that it can recognize the road and use an existing map to orient and navigate itself.

And where does the existing map come from? A 2d drawing of a map is not good enough.