"Piracy" is defined in article 101 of the United Nations
Convention on the Law of the Sea as follows:
"Piracy consists of any of the following acts:
(a) any illegal acts of violence or detention, or any act
of depredation, committed for private ends by the crew or the passengers
of a private ship or a private aircraft, and directed:
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(i) on the high seas, against another ship or aircraft,
or against persons or property on board such ship or aircraft;
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(ii) against a ship, aircraft, persons or property in a
place outside the jurisdiction of any State;
(b) any act of voluntary participation in the operation
of a ship or of an aircraft with knowledge of facts making it a pirate
ship or aircraft;
(c) any act of inciting or of intentionally facilitating
an act described in subparagraph (a) or (b)."