Corsairs were
privateers, authorized to conduct raids on shipping of a nation at war with
France, on behalf of the French crown. Seized vessels and cargo were sold at auction, with the corsair captain entitled to a portion of the proceeds. Although not
French Navy personnel, corsairs were considered legitimate combatants in France (and allied nations), provided the commanding officer of the vessel was in possession of a valid
Letter of Marque ( or , the latter giving
corsairs their name), and the officers and crew conducted themselves according to contemporary
admiralty law. By acting on behalf of the French Crown, if captured by the enemy, they could claim treatment as
prisoners of war, instead of being considered
pirates. Because corsairs gained a
swashbuckling reputation, the word "corsair" is also used generically as a more romantic or flamboyant way of referring to privateers, or even to pirates. The
Barbary pirates of
North Africa as well as
Ottomans were sometimes called "Turkish corsairs".