> You're clearly confusing Somali Pirates and the Caribbean Pirates of the Golden Age. Pirates were predominantly privateers working under the authorization of a letter of Marque, and at any time could be a pirate to any of the three other major empires in the area.
And you're clearly confusing pirates with privateers.
Courtesy of wikipedia:
Piracy is typically an act of robbery or criminal violence at sea. The term can include acts committed on land, in the air, or in other major bodies of water or on a shore. [...] It is distinguished from privateering, which is authorized by national authorities and therefore a legitimate form of war-like activity by non-state actors. Privateering is considered commerce raiding, and was outlawed by the Peace of Westphalia (1648) for signatories to those treaties.
No I understand it perfectly, again you do not. Being a pirate depended on whether you thought you was getting paid or not for work already done. If yes, Privateer and you went through the legal means. If no, and if penalties it would be piracy as you'd go where the money is. Sorry but this is exactly how many of the notorious pirates got started, because eventually their sovereign nation had to do something.
Privateers could and did frequently board allied or neutral nations vessels who were flying false flag for safety and could be held liable for damages.
And you're clearly confusing pirates with privateers.
Courtesy of wikipedia:
Piracy is typically an act of robbery or criminal violence at sea. The term can include acts committed on land, in the air, or in other major bodies of water or on a shore. [...] It is distinguished from privateering, which is authorized by national authorities and therefore a legitimate form of war-like activity by non-state actors. Privateering is considered commerce raiding, and was outlawed by the Peace of Westphalia (1648) for signatories to those treaties.