piracy

Originally, piracy was a form of theft, when it referred to the practice of robbing on the high seas, and arguably even when it referred to the harmful practice of copying copyrighted products and selling them, ripping off the developers of the products. Nowadays, it's a synonym for 'copyright infringement', which is not the same thing as theft. Copying in moderation may well benefit the industries in many circumstances as it increases public awareness of the industries and individual products; it's the mass copying initiatives, and the counterfeit sales, that are most likely eroding sales. In cracking down on 'piracy' the copyright police are using a sledgehammer to crack a nut, and in pissing off loyal customers with intrusive 'copy protection systems', the concept of copyright law and the relevant industries are giving themselves a bad name.