From my company’s online ethics training:

hiring a photographer to fly over a construction site in an attempt to obtain a competitor’s trade secrets may be an unlawful business practice, even if it’s not illegal.

(emphasis mine)

So… it’s unlawful, but it’s not illegal. Wha…?

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5 Comments

  1. Bang head HERE

    Ok so this is from
    http://www.m-w.com Merrian webster online dictonary

    Entry Word: illegal
    Function: adjective
    Text: 1 contrary to or forbidden by law
    Synonyms criminal, illegitimate, illicit, unlawful, wrongful

    If they are synonyms aren’t they the same or was I just taught wrong from like fourth grade on up?

  2. If I may jump in here?…

    Perhaps the presenter is trying to convey the notion that the act of flying over a construction site is not illegal in that there is not law preventing it, but the act of flying over the site to gain trade secrets is illegal, due to the anti-competition and related laws.

  3. s/unlawful/unethical/ , perhaps?

  4. Perhaps they mean unlawful in the sense of being immoral.

  5. my guess

    is that they are misusing the terms but mean this:

    unlawful – subject to civil suit
    illegal – criminal act subject to prevention and action by law enforcement

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