Re: "My dad is a pirate."

[cc]

On Feb 14, 5:10 pm, JEDIDIAH <j...@nomad.mishnet> wrote:
> On 2008-02-14, Banty <Banty_mem...@newsguy.com> wrote:
>
> > In article <7aoe85-j8o....@ridcully.ntlworld.com>, spi...@freenet.co.uk 
> > says...
>
> >>In the sacred domain of comp.os.linux.advocacy,
> >>chrisv <chr...@nospam.invalid> didnst hastily scribble thusly:
> >>> spi...@freenet.co.uk wrote:
>
> >>>>In the sacred domain of comp.os.linux.advocacy,
> >>>>chrisv <chr...@nospam.invalid> didnst hastily scribble thusly:
> >>>>> Ingoramus21499 wrote:
> [deletia]
> >>What physical property did he deprive some other entity (be it person or
> >>company) of?
>
> > Notice how these folks always specify "physical"...
>
>     The abuse of terms by others makes this necessary.
>
>     If it would make you happier we could use actual legal terms
> like "real property" and "personal property".
>
>     Physical things are scarce. The notion of exclusion makes
> remarkably more sense with physical objects since harm and
> deprivation are much more obvious and much more real.
>
>
>
> >>Copying a file is not theft because the so called "victim" is not deprived
> >>of the original.
>
> > Have you heard of theft of services?
>
>     Something else that is a recent invention. The nice thing about
> genuine theft is it is something that is unambigiously not OK and this
> goes back to the dawn of civilization. The earliest written laws
> mention the theft of physical things.
>

Because the only things around to steal were physical. Times have
changed and the updated meanings given to words reflect that. "You
stole my idea" goes back to the dawn of civilization too. It may not
have been written down though.