Piracy

6 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Piracy \Pi"ra*cy\, n.; pl. {Piracies}. [Cf. LL. piratia, Gr. ?.
     See {Pirate}.]
     1. The act or crime of a pirate.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. (Common Law) Robbery on the high seas; the taking of


        property from others on the open sea by open violence;
        without lawful authority, and with intent to steal; -- a
        crime answering to robbery on land.
        [1913 Webster]
        [1913 Webster]
  
     Note: By statute law several other offenses committed on the
           seas (as trading with known pirates, or engaging in the
           slave trade) have been made piracy.
           [1913 Webster]
  
     3. "Sometimes used, in a quasi-figurative sense, of violation
        of copyright; but for this, infringement is the correct
        and preferable term." --Abbott.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  piracy
       n 1: robbery on the high seas; taking a ship away from the
            control of those who are legally entitled to it [syn: {buccaneering}]
       2: the act of plagiarizing; taking someone's words or ideas as
          if they were your own [syn: {plagiarism}, {plagiarization},
           {plagiarisation}]

From The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (27 SEP 03) [foldoc]:

  piracy
       
          {software piracy}
       
       

From Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856) [bouvier]:

  PIRACY, crim. law. A robbery or forcible depreciation on the high seas, 
  without lawful authority, done animo furandi, in the spirit and intention of 
  universal hostility. 5 Wheat. 153, 163; 3 Wheat. 610; 3 Wash. C. C. R. 209. 
  This is the definition of this offence by the law of nations. 1 Kent, Com. 
  183. The word is derived from peira deceptio, deceit or deception: or from 
  peiron wandering up and down, and resting in no place, but coasting hither 
  and thither to do mischief. Ridley's View, Part 2, c. 1, s. 3. 
       2. Congress may define and punish piracies and felonies on the high 
  seas, and offences against the law of nations. Const. U. S. Art. 1, s. 7, n. 
  10; 5 Wheat. 184, 153, 76; 3 Wheat. 336. In pursuance of the authority thus 
  given by the constitution, it was declared by the act of congress of April 
  30, 1790, s. 8, 1 Story's Laws U. S. 84, that murder or robbery committed on 
  the high seas, or in any river, haven, or bay, out of the jurisdiction of 
  any particular state, or any offence, which, if committed within the body of 
  a county, would, by the laws of the United States, be punishable with death, 
  should be adjudged to be piracy and felony, and punishable with death. It 
  was further declared, that if any captain or manner should piratically and 
  feloniously run away with a vessel, or any goods or merchandise of the value 
  of fifty dollars; or should yield up such vessel voluntarily to pirates; or 
  if any seaman should forcible endeavor to hinder his commander from 
  defending the ship or goods committed to his trust, or should make revolt in 
  the ship; every such offender should be adjudged a pirate and felon, and be 
  punishable with death. Accessaries before the fact are punishable as the 
  principal; those after the fact with fine and imprisonment. 
       3. By a subsequent act, passed March 3, 1819, 3 Story, 1739, made 
  perpetual by the act of May 15, 1820, 1 Story, 1798, congress declared, that 
  if any person upon the high seas, should commit the crime of piracy as 
  defined by the law of nations, he should, on conviction, suffer death. 
       4. And again by the act of May 15, 1820, s. 3, 1 Story, 1798, congress 
  declared that if any person should, upon the high seas, or in any open 
  roadstead, or in any haven, basin or bay, or in any river where the sea ebbs 
  and flows, commit the crime of robbery in or upon any ship or vessel, or 
  upon any of the ship's company of any ship or vessel, or the lading thereof, 
  such person should be adjudged to be a pirate, and suffer death. And if any 
  person engaged in any piratical cruise or enterprize, or being of the crew 
  or ship's company of any piratical ship or vessel, should land from such 
  ship or vessel, and, on shore; should commit robbery, such person should be 
  adjudged a pirate and suffer death. Provided that the state in which the 
  offence may have been committed should not be deprived of its jurisdiction 
  over the same, when committed within the body of a county, and that the 
  courts of the United States should have no jurisdiction to try such 
  offenders, after conviction or acquittal, for the same offence, in a state 
  court. The 4th and 5th sections of the last mentioned act declare persons 
  engaged in the slave trade, or in forcibly detaining a free negro or mulatto 
  and carrying him in any ship or vessel into slavery, piracy, punishable with 
  death. Vide 1 Kent, Com. 183; Beaussant, Code Maritime, t. 1, p. 244; 
  Dalloz, Diet. Supp. h.t.; Dougl. 613; Park's Ins. Index, h.t. Bac. Ab. h.t.; 
  16 Vin. Ab. 346; Ayl. Pand. 42 11 Wheat. R. 39; 1 Gall. R. 247; Id. 524 3 W. 
  C. C. R. 209, 240; 1 Pet. C. C. R. 118, 121. 
  
  

From Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856) [bouvier]:

  PIRACY, torts. By piracy is understood the plagiarisms of a book, engraving 
  or other work, for which a copyright has been taken out. 
       2. When a piracy has been made of such a work, an injunction will be 
  granted. 5 Ves. 709; 4 Ves. 681; 12 Ves. 270. Vide copyright. 
  
  

From THE DEVIL'S DICTIONARY ((C)1911 Released April 15 1993) [devils]:

  PIRACY, n.  Commerce without its folly-swaddles, just as God made it.