A sea-robber; any robber; particularly a book-seller who seizes the copies of other men.--Johnson.
Some of our large publishing houses may not be aware that there is such good authority for applying the term pirate to them, as is found in the following quotation:
This poem was written for his own diversion, without any design of publication. It was communicated but to me; but soon spread, and fell into the hands of pirates. It was put out, vilely mangled, and impudently said to be corrected by the author.--Johnson, Life of J. Philips.