Richard Stallman: Reject the propaganda terms that developer of proprietary software use to demonize cooperation and sharing. Terms like Pirate.

“And you should also reject the propaganda terms that the developer of proprietary software use to demonize cooperation and sharing. Terms like pirate.

Because what do they mean when they use it and apply it to people who share copies of things?
They’re trying to trick us into supposing without question, that helping your neighbour is the moral equivalent of attacking a ship. And nothing could be more wrong than that.
Because attacking ships is very bad and helping your neighbour is good.

… Don’t accept the enemy’s propaganda. Pirate is one example of a propaganda term. When they falsely label copyright infringement as theft, that is a propaganda term. Don’t fall into it. Complain. Criticize when someone makes that mistake.”

• Richard Stallman