International Law

Real Pirates Take Back ?Piracy? from IP Community

By Stan

All the talk of pirates from Somalia has this IP lawyer a bit miffed. I’ve gotten used to using the terms “piracy” and “pirate” to describe activities and people related to infringement of intellectual property rights. Unfortunately it looks like I will have to curtail my pirate language in the future so folks do not get confused.

I don’t know when this language first entered the IP lexicon, but it does add a bit of flavor as compared to dry legal terminology such as “infringement.”

Alas, real pirates command more attention with the public, particularly since there are life and death situations out there on the high seas. Let’s be fair, when was the last time a patent infringement case was resolved by a U.S. Navy SEAL sniper?

Hey, that gives me an idea . . .

Anyway, despite what the recording and motion picture industries would have us believe, kids downloading copies of Watchmen is not quite in the same league as murder and kidnap on the high seas.

The real pirates win this language battle hands down.

© Stan for China Hearsay, 2009. | Permalink | 2 comments | Add to del.icio.us

Full post as published by China Hearsay on April 16, 2009 (boomark / email).