What’s the difference between a pirate and a privateer?  It’s not the act, it’s the authority. Only the privateer – who seems to be acting purely on his own initiative – has the papers authorizing him to do so. The histories of broadcasting and maritime law are closely intertwined, as we can tell from their similar forms of organization. Radio has its public and private branches, and its pirate ones too. But these clear distinctions are no longer valid in today’s radio landscape. Podcasts, web archives and the internet have caused shifts in content types, listening areas, audiences and jurisdictions. So is something being commandeered? If so, how? And most importantly, what?