Gourt > Society > Issues > Intellectual Property > Piracy
Piracy is robbery committed at sea, or sometimes the shore, by an agent without a commission from a sovereign nation. One who commits piracy by engaging in robbery, pillaging, or plundering at sea is known as a pirate. Seaborne piracy against transport vessels remains a significant issue (with estimated worldwide losses of States dollar|US$" target="_blank" >*13 to $16 billion per year*), particularly in the waters between the Pacific and Indian Oceans, off the Somali coast, and in the Strait of Malacca and Singapore, which are used by over 50,000 commercial ships a year. A recent surge in piracy off the Somali coast spurred a multi-national effort led by the United States to patrol the waters near the Horn of Africa to combat piracy. While boats off the coasts of South America and the Mediterranean Sea are still assailed by pirates, the advent of the United States Coast Guard has nearly eradicated piracy in American waters and the Caribbean Sea. The Jolly Roger is the traditional flag of European and American pirates.
Antiquity
The earliest documented incidence of piracy are the exploits of the Sea Peoples who threatened the Aegean in the 13th century BC. In Classical Antiquity, the Tyrrhenians and Thracians were known as pirates. The island of Lemnos long resisted Greek influence and remained a haven for Thracian pirates. The Latin term pirata, from which the English "pirate" is derived, derives ultimately from Greek peira "attack, attempt", cognate to peril. By the 1st century BC, there were pirate states along the Anatolian coast, threatening the commerce of the Roman Empire. When Sulla died in 78 BC, Julius Caesar returned to Rome as a lawyer, prosecuted Sulla's supporters, and headed to the Greek town of Rhodes to study oratory. Pirates seized control of the vessel in 79 BC, kidnapped Caesar, and held him for ransom. After purchasing his freedom, he assembled a small army which captured the pirates and crucified them. (These dates are inconsistent, BC years progress by decreasing). The Senate finally invested Pompey with special powers to deal with piracy in 67 BC (the Lex Gabinia), and Pompey after three months of naval warfare managed to suppress the threat. In the 3rd century, pirate attacks on Olympus (city in Anatolia) brought impoverishment.
Among some of the most famous ancient pirateering peoples were the Illyrians, populating the western Balkan peninsula. Constantly raiding the Adriatic Sea, the Illyrians caused many conficts with the Roman Republic. It was not until 68 BC that the Romans finally conquered Illyria and made it a province, ending their threat.
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Piracy - cross-industry alliance campaigning to strengthen UK laws on counterfeiting, piracy, and intellectual property theft
Adobe - What Is Software Piracy? - Website documenting the corporate understanding of software piracy, featuring penalties, implications, and practices.
Association Européenne pour la Protection des Oeuvres et services Cryptés (AEPOC) - The European Association for the Protection of Encrypted Works and Services, an organization of corporations in the digital television and telecommunications sector. The mission is studying the phenomenon of piracy in relation to encrypted works and services and research into all the legal, operational and technological methods for increasing the security and protection of conditional access systems.
BSA Anti-Piracy Site -- Software Piracy - Nopiracy.com is a site by the BSA (an alliance between many software megacorps to attack people who copy software) that argues against piracy and encourages turning people in.
Meta Description: [ Anti-Piracy Information ]
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In Defense of Piracy (Well, Some Piracy) - The Mac Curmudgeon argues in favor of certain kinds of computer / music copying.
Microsoft - How Piracy Affects You - Argues that piracy is wrong, claims it costs consumers money.
PC World - Did Microsoft Flirt With Piracy? - Article by Kim Zetter documenting Microsoft's conviction of piracy charges in France for illegal use of another company's source code.
Meta Description: [ Complaints about open-source software policy reveal piracy rap in France. ]
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Quality Brands Protections Committee - Industry lobby promoting intellectual property rights in China.
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RIAA - The latest issues and news on anti-piracy efforts, current events and legal implications.
SIIA Anti-Piracy - Among information, news, issues on copyright, policies and initiatives, this side also provides the possibility to report piracy.
Software piracy - Protection of intellectual property - Information on piracy as well as tips on how to protect yourself against it. A good site for piracy beginners.
Meta Description: [ Software piracy is the illegal reproduction and distribution of software applications, whether for business or personal use. This site will provide you with information on piracy, and helpful tips about how to protect yourself, your business and your ideas. ]
Software Piracy Sails Despite Rough Seas Ahead - An article that discusses the costs of software piracy, especially in the animation industry.
Software Piracy: What You Should Know - Bentley Systems attacks software piracy
The Register - Stealth Plan Puts Copy Protection Into Every Hard Drive - Hastening a rapid demise for the free copying of digital media, the next generation of hard disks is likely to come with copyright protection countermeasures built in.
Wired News - Focus on Software Piracy Problem - Article by Katie Dean discussing the implications and myths of software piracy.
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| past year, Canadians have faced a barrage of claims painting Canada as a "piracy haven." This video moves beyond the ... | |
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