Thread: What is "piracy" and is it ever justified
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nidO is offline nidO
2010-03-02 , 14:59
Posts: 278 | Thanked: 303 times | Joined on Feb 2010 @ Norwich, UK
#17
Originally Posted by Rob1n View Post
I would still love to see a reference for this, as "legal definitions" are, by their very nature, written in as precise, clear, and unambiguous manner as possible (well, clear to other lawyers anyway - the language can be rather opaque for most of us). General online/print references may well use "piracy" interchangeably with "copyright violation" but I'd doubt that any legal definition/legal reference material would do this.
In the literal sense of legal statutes, within the UK the specific term of piracy does purely relate to the plundering and pillaging on the high seas (or in the air) form from the Piracy Act 1837 (details available from OPSI, or more conveniently wikipedia), and does not relate to copyright infringement in any way - That said, it is generally accepted (in common use as well as legal circles) that "software piracy" and similar do relate to copyright violations.