[LINK] Theft, copyright, larceny...

[Stewart Fist]

In the discussion on the use of terms like "theft" and "piracy" Rick says

> I suspect it is even more sinister than that.

then gives us some examples of neo-con use of emotive language:
> 
> Some examples come from the far right in neo-con land:
> 
> "tax relief" as if paying taxes was some sort of burden
> that requires a saviour;
> 
> "climate change" as if the direction of the change could
> be either cooler or warmer;
> 
> "mutual obligation" as if the government is already
> keeping its part of the bargain;
> 
> "core promises" as if the elected government can cherry
> pick its mandate according to whatever it fancies today;
> [this one made it into wikipedia with full credit to LJH]

Here's another one:

"basic services" when talking about gigabit/sec optical fibre connections to
homes in the outback.

Adam then jumps in with:

> The problem is the "Industry" is touting and calling it THEFT so that
> people gain a guilt conscious and so that in the longer term, in a
> court room you can accuse a person of THEFT when there is no legal,
> moral or common basis for the claim.
> 
> Gawd, these spin doctors do it all the time.

Then in another posting Adam writes:

> However, recently, a woman in Sydney was jailed for copyright
> breaches.  Although she was jailed for taking money from consumers
> for pirated products.

Did anyone attack his use of "pirated products"?

Or was it a useful term to explain the idea he was expressing?

-----

It is also noticeable that the lawyers on the list feel that legal
definitions of words should set the standard for community use -- but they
don't, and they wont.

Legal terminology is useful jargon, but it is not English language.  Every
trade has its jargon and the legal profession is the master at convoluted
expression.

Lawyers might never refer to copyright violations as "theft", but
journalists do and business people do, and their right to use the language
to express an idea is close to that widely used in public, and is more in
accordance with common usage than esoteric legal terminology.

I, for one, will continue to use "theft" and "piracy" when writing for
public consumption, despite attempts on the Link to impose legalistic
euphemisms.


-- 
Stewart Fist, writer, journalist, film-maker
70 Middle Harbour Road, LINDFIELD, 2070, NSW, Australia
Ph +61 (2) 9416 7458