Chambers wrote:
> http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=define%3A+theft&btnG=Search
> "larceny: the act of taking something from someone unlawfully"
> 
> http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/theft
> "the act of stealing; the wrongful taking and carrying away of the 
> personal goods or property of another; larceny."
> 
> http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/theft
> "a: the act of stealing  ; specifically : the felonious taking and 
> removing of personal property with intent to deprive the rightful owner 
> of it b: an unlawful taking (as by embezzlement or burglary) of property"
> 
> It seems to me that theft occurs when you take something from someone 
> else; the owner is deprived of their property, which the thief then 
> enjoys possession of.
> 
> Unlawful copying doesn't seem to be theft by any of the above 
> definitions.  The owner retains all rights, privileges and perks of the 
> property.

This is because you are interpreting all of these definitions to apply 
strictly to physical property.

"Copyright" means the *exclusive* right to make copies.  That right is 
diminished whenever someone else, without the copyright holder's 
permission, makes a copy.  Unless corrected, the owner's right is no 
longer *exclusive*, and thus he no longer retains all of the rights and 
privileges that he had, preceding the violation.  He certainly loses 
some of the perks, because profiting from the copy is one of these 
perks, which is rightfully his.

That's why it's called "copyright" and not "sellright," "takeright," 
"haveright," or other phrases.

Regards,
John

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