Narratives

Introduction to Piracy

In the simplest terms, piracy is obtaining something without the proper rights of legal ownership. In a broader sense, piracy represents a whole range of stealing. Like what the traditional usage of this term suggests, the actions committed by ruthless sea barbarians in the early 1700s are not so different from the methods Digital Natives use to wrongfully acquire or distribute copyrighted material online. Yes, the recent surge in piracy of Disneyâs Pirates 3 movie is, least to say, ironic.

The main driving force behind the argument against piracy centers on the degree of copyright infringement. The creator of a new piece of work has exclusive rights or ownership over all personal products of labor. Exclusive rights include but limited to distribution, reproduction, perform and make derivatives of the original. Under United States and most foreign law, copyright infringement is the unauthorized use of any works or materials secured by copyright. Such actions usually impinge on the copyright ownerâs exclusive rights, without a license to do so. Copyrights and the consequences of copyright infringement help protect intellectual property, protect ownership, and promote the society's technological progress.