intellectual property theft
Copying protected creations
Intellectual property theft is the unauthorized use, copying, or distribution of protected creations—patents, trademarks, copyrights, or trade secrets.
The term frames infringement as stealing, though unlike physical theft, the original owner retains possession: The company accused its former engineer of intellectual property theft after he joined a competitor.
The concept is central to disputes over pirated software, counterfeit goods, and corporate espionage.
- plagiarismUnattributed use of others' work
- piracySeaborne theft or bootlegging
- counterfeit goodsFraudulent imitation merchandise
- corporate espionageTheft of proprietary business information
- passing offMisrepresenting origin of goods
knockoffs · knockoff bags · torrenting · industrial espionage · bootlegging · reverse engineering · digital piracy · bootleg copies · patent trolling · false advertising · infringement · patent infringement · copyright violation · counterfeiting · ripped off · Napster · software piracy · trade secrets
- business risksmarket risk, competition, data breach, cyberattack, recession
- corporate crimescorporate fraud, securities fraud, insider trading, price fixing, embezzlement
- insider threatsinsider threat, disgruntled employee, unauthorized access, information leak, credential theft
- theftstealing, larceny, steal, burglary, robbery
- tradetrade balance, free trade, trade barriers, customs, trade deficit
- cybercrimehacking, phishing, malware, ransomware, data breach
intellectual property theftlicensing
Granting official permission
royalty payment · licensing agreement · fair use · commissioned work · work for hire
intellectual property theftcopyright enforcement
Defending ownership of creative works
patent protection · copyright protection · anti-piracy measures · digital rights management · attribution
intellectual property theftopen source
Publicly accessible code
creative commons · public domain · copyleft · knowledge sharing · open access
intellectual, intellectually, intellect, intellects, intellectualism, property, properties, thefts