bitlegging
English
editEtymology
editBlend of bit + bootlegging.[1]
Noun
editbitlegging (uncountable)
- (technology, informal) Digital piracy.
- 1999, Carl Shapiro, Hal R[onald] Varian, Information Rules: A Strategic Guide to the Network Economy, Boston, M.A.: Harvard Business School Press, →ISBN, page 92:
- If people can take your content without compensation, where do the revenues come from? "Bitlegging" can't be ignored: there's no doubt that it can be a significant drag on profits. Luckily, there are some compensating factors.
- 1999 March 11, John Graham-Cumming, “Make your PC really sing”, in Alan Rusbridger, editor, The Guardian[1], London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2014-05-08:
- Of course, downloading a ripped-off version of, say, the All Saints' Never Ever is the digital equivalent of bootlegging (bitlegging?). But MP3.com advises a legal alternative: buy the CD then use a "ripper" to create an MP3 file for your own use.
- 1999 August 20, ewhac, “First person convicted of U.S. Internet piracy”, in Slashdot[2], archived from the original on 2023-08-10:
- Bitlegging is NOT theft.
- 2006 November 26, Manisha Singh, “Lexicon techs all”, in The Economic Times[3], Mumbai: Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd., →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 28 April 2024:
- Every passing year generates a wealth of new online terms: Companies can go 'viral' to reach thousands of customers with their advert or marketing message, or can try 'slivercasting' to target a small audience. There's also been an increase in blegging, bitlegging and splogging (a blend of spam and blog).
- [2007 May 16, Lawrence Wallis, “An increasing fetish for offlish”, in PrintWeek[4], archived from the original on 2024-04-28:
- 'Bitlegging' describes the unlicensed downloading of copyright material, while 'ransomware' denotes programs that illegally encrypt personal files to prevent access.]
Usage notes
edit- The term is mainly used in reference to Shapiro and Varian's 1999 book (see quotation above), and has faded into obscurity since the 2000s.
References
edit- ^ Paul McFedries (1996–2024) “bitlegging”, in Word Spy, Logophilia Limited.