The Piracy? What Piracy?

Abstract

In discussing piracy herein, the reference is not to historical maritime raiders bestowed with titles by the British Empire, such as Sir Francis Drake, who appropriated gold from the Spaniards, themselves having previously stolen it from indigenous peoples ("Indians"). The act of pilfering from thieves is presently regarded with skepticism and presents distinct ethical quandaries. Rather, my focus pertains to instances wherein scientific and medical publications/ideas have been unlawfully appropriated. One might assume that such occurrences are antiquated or, at the very least, obsolete in contemporary times. Regrettably, they persist. Wherever opportunities emerge, certain transgressions ensue, irrespective of their moral permissibility. The adage "opportunity makes a thief" holds true. Within this discourse, I will scrutinize and evaluate specific behaviors exhibited by authors affiliated with publishing entities and those commonly termed "pirates". Various measures exist to comprehensively safeguard intellectual property against misappropriation. These encompass strategies such as confidentiality, distrust, heightened security awareness, precautionary measures, exercise of prudence, and the utilization of pre-print servers, among others.