The mention of the word "pirate" can evoke powerful images of Somali criminals hijacking ships worth many millions of dollars. However, the alternate definition of the word-the illegal distribution or receipt of copyrighted materials-is the cornerstone of an economic and social phenomenon that encompasses a financial scope many times that of Captain Blackbeard. It is as such rather unfortunate that the public and the government share the same negative connotation of both concepts of piracy. Regulatory legislation regarding copyright infringement and person to person file-sharing nega...

• Word Count: 2876
• Approx Pages: 12
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate