OT: Forum legalish question

[Travis Roy]

Ben Scott wrote:
> On 3/7/06, Randy Edwards <redwards at golgotha.net> wrote:
> 
>>>and that a thief is still a thief, even if he steals from another thief.
>>
>>   (Fighting back the urge to drag out this OT thread and give an RMS-like
>>rant about how copyright infringement is not "theft". :-)
> 
> 
>   (Fighting back the urge to drag out this OT thread and give a
> Ben-like rant about how you don't get to decide if copyright
> infringement is "theft" or not.  :-)
> 
>   So, neener, neener.  ;-)

Theft \Theft\ (th[e^]ft), n. [OE. thefte, AS.

      [thorn]i['e]f[eth]e, [thorn][=y]f[eth]e, [thorn]e['o]f[eth]e.
      See Thief.]

     1. (Law) The act of stealing; specifically, the felonious
         taking and removing of personal property, with an intent
         to deprive the rightful owner of the same; larceny.
         [1913 Webster]

      Note: To constitute theft there must be a taking without the
            owner's consent, and it must be unlawful or felonious;
            every part of the property stolen must be removed,
            however slightly, from its former position; and it must
            be, at least momentarily, in the complete possession of
            the thief. See Larceny, and the Note under Robbery.
            [1913 Webster]


copyright infringement
        n : a violation of the rights secured by a copyright [syn: 
infringement of copyright]