4 ms·
A little off topic but I always found it interesting that the "theft" of electricity is actually called Abstracting in UK law, since you can't really steal the
by jaymzcampbell 5y ago
A little off topic but I always found it interesting that the "theft" of electricity is actually called Abstracting in UK law, since you can't really steal the electricity itself.
> ...it was held that electricity could not be stolen as it is not property within the meaning of section 4 of the Theft Act 1968... Before the Computer Misuse Act 1990 those who misused computers ("hackers") were charged with abstracting electricity, as no other law applied
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abstracting_electricity https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abstracting_electricity
- Tomte 5y agoThe same problem and solution in Germany, but already in 1900: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Entziehung_elektrischer_Energie https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Entziehung_elektrischer_Energi... It seems that the French high court ruled differently, and they just prosecuted it under the regular theft statute.
- Joker_vD 5y agoAnd yet we still call intellectual "property" just that, "intellectual property" even though it's not a property for most of the laws except for the ones written to specifically deal with intellectual "property". The wonderful world of law.
- igravious 5y agoVery good point.
- koheripbal 5y agoThere's no "master" set of definitions in law. Every law has its own definitions. So contrary definitions are irrelevant.
- matwood 5y agoGreat point. Go look at any substantial legal agreement and there is normally a bunch of definitions at the top or in an amendment.
- roenxi 5y agoWell ... irrelevant in the technical execution of the justice system. In practice it makes the laws easier to follow if people use the same words for the same concepts and tests. If property means physical stuff in one law and thought in another it may become confusing to work out how to follow the law.
- vulcan01 5y agoProperty, in law, practically always means "something someone owns". Intellectual property is something someone owns, just as a house is. I'm not sure there are conflicting definitions in the law.
- Mauricebranagh 5y agoStealing her Majesties electricity back in the day
- derekp7 5y agoSo there was not concept of "theft of service" then? Or was that also not called theft, but something else similar to abstracting? I.e., if you walked out without paying the barber or something like that.
- robjan 5y agoThat would be the crime of "Making off without payment"