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Piracy vs Counterfeit - What's the difference?

piracy | counterfeit |

As nouns the difference between piracy and counterfeit

is that piracy is (nautical) robbery at sea, a violation of international law; taking a ship away from the control of those who are legally entitled to it while counterfeit is a non-genuine article; a fake.

As an adjective counterfeit is

false, especially of money; intended to deceive or carry appearance of being genuine.

As a verb counterfeit is

to falsely produce what appears to be official or valid; to produce a forged copy of.

piracy

English

Noun

  • (nautical) Robbery at sea, a violation of international law; taking a ship away from the control of those who are legally entitled to it.
    • How shoud the international community respond to Somali piracy ?
  • A similar violation of international law, such as hijacking of an aircraft.
  • The unauthorized duplication of goods protected by intellectual property law (e.g. copying software unlawfully).
  • The operation of an unlicensed radio or television station.

    • Synonyms

    * (breaking intellectual property law by making unauthorized copies) bootlegging, file sharing

    See also

    * pirate * pirate radio

    counterfeit

    English

    Adjective

    (-)
  • False, especially of money; intended to deceive or carry appearance of being genuine.
    • This counterfeit watch looks like the real thing, but it broke a week after I bought it.
  • Inauthentic.
    • counterfeit sympathy
  • Assuming the appearance of something; deceitful; hypocritical.
  • * Shakespeare
    • an arrant counterfeit rascal

    Synonyms

    * See also

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A non-genuine article; a fake.
  • *c.1597 William Shakespeare, Henry IV part I, Act II, scene 4:
    • Never call a true piece of gold a counterfeit .
  • * Macaulay
    • Some of these counterfeits are fabricated with such exquisite taste and skill, that it is the achievement of criticism to distinguish them from originals.
  • One who counterfeits; a counterfeiter.
  • (obsolete) That which resembles another thing; a likeness; a portrait; a counterpart.
  • * William Shakespeare, Timon of Athens
    • Thou drawest a counterfeit / Best in all Athens.
  • * 1590 Edmund Spenser, Faerie Queene Book III, canto VIII:
    • Even Nature's self envied the same, / And grudged to see the counterfeit should shame / The thing itself.
  • (obsolete) An impostor; a cheat.
  • * c.1597 William Shakespeare, Henry IV part I, Act V, scene 4
    • I fear thou art another counterfeit ; / And yet, in faith, thou bear'st thee like a king.

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To falsely produce what appears to be official or valid; to produce a forged copy of.
    • to counterfeit the signature of another, coins, notes, etc.
  • (obsolete) To produce a faithful copy of.
  • *
  • (obsolete) To feign; to mimic.
    • to counterfeit the voice of another person
  • * Oliver Goldsmith, The Village Schoolmaster
    • Full well they laughed with counterfeited glee / At all his jokes, for many a joke had he.
  • Of a turn or river card, to invalidate a player's hand by making a better hand on the board.