PIRACY1, torts. By piracy is understood the plagiarisms2 of a book, engraving3 or other work, for which a copyright has been taken out. 2. When a piracy has been made of such a work, an injunction will be granted. 5 Ves. 709; 4 Ves. 681; 12 Ves. 270. Vide copyright.
PIRATE. A sea robber, who, to enrich himself by subtlety4 or open force, setteth upon merchants and others trading by sea, despoiling5 them of their loading, and sometimes bereaving6 them of life and, sinking their ships; Ridley's View of the Civ. and Ecc. Law, part 2, c. 1, s. 8; or more generally one guilty of the crime of piracy. Merl. Repert. h. t. See, for the etymology7 of this word, Bac. Ab. Piracy
PIRATlCALLY, pleadings. This is a technical word, essential to charge the crime of piracy in an indictment8, which cannot be supplied by another word, or any circumlocution9. Hawk10. B. 1, c. 37, s. 15; 3 Inst. 112; 1 Chit. Cr. Law, *244.
PISCARY. The right of fishing in the waters of another. Bac. Ab. h. t.; 5 Com. Dig. 366. Vide Fishery.
PISTAREEN. A small Spanish coin. It is not a coin made current by the laws of the United States. 10 Pet. 618.
PIT, fossa. A hole dug in the earth, which was filled with water, and in which women thieves were drowned, instead of being hung. The punishment of the pit was formerly11 common in Scotland.
PLACE, pleading, evidence. A particular portion of space; locality.
2. In local actions, the plaintiff must lay his venue12 in the county in which the action arose. It is a general rule, that the place of every traversable fact, stated in the pleading, must be distinctly alleged13; Com. Dig. Pleader, c. 20; Cro. Eliz. 78, 98; Lawes' Pl. 57; Bac. Ab. Venue, B; Co. Litt. 303 a; and some place must be alleged for every such fact; this is done by designating the city, town, village, parish or district, together with the county in which the fact is alleged to have occurred; and the place thus designated, is called the venue. (q. v.)
3. In transitory actions, the place laid in the declaration, need not be the place where the cause of action arose, unless when required by statute14. In local actions, the plaintiff will be confined in his proof to the county laid in the declaration.
4. In criminal cases the facts must be laid and proved to have been committed within the jurisdiction15 of the court, or the defendant16 must be acquitted17. 2 Hawk. c. 25, s. 84; Arcb. Cr. Pl. 40, 95. Vide, generally, Gould on Pl. c. 3, 102-104; Arcb. Civ. Pl. 366; Hamm. N. P. 462; 1 Saund. 347, n. 1; 2 Saund. 5 n.