user157: Considering the second precept

Adinnādānā veramaṇī sikkhāpadaṃ samādiyāmi.

which I am most familiar with its translation as 

I undertake the training rule to abstain from taking what is not given

Does this precept only apply to cases of theft or can it be extended into more intangible possessions such as someones time or energy? Considering the answers around the illegal download question it does seem as if there are interpretation in which it is only theft. I'd particularly like to know interpretations from different schools and the differences (or not) between them.
For this can we take the definition of theft as provided by wikipedia

theft is the taking of another person's property without that
  person's permission or consent with the intent to deprive the rightful
  owner of it.


user104: I agree with Andrei's answer but would like to add some extra point.
One of Vajrayana teachers taught that every little action creates some subtle Karma and we should be mindful whenever we reach out for things. For example, when visiting friends we may find out that we forgot our toothpaste so we use the one that is in the bathroom asserting that the friends wouldn't mind us using their paste. Technically, however, we took something that was not given to us.
Instead of getting paranoid that we constantly create negative impressions, we can twist such situations and use them as an opportunity to generate something positive. We go ask our friends whether they could lend us some paste not out of fear of breaking the precept, but rather because we want to offer them a chance to be generous. It is not a big deal to offer some toothpaste to friends, but every, however small, act of generosity creates positive impressions in our minds. It is also a chance for us to express gratitude to our kind friends. 

user43: No, it's meaning is far wider even in Theravada, let alone in Mahayana.
Check out Thanissaro Bhikkhu's compilation of Vinaya: the cases he lists include dealing with counterfeit money and smuggling goods without paying custom duties -- which clearly goes beyond expropriating someone's property. 
Of contemporary teachers, e.g. Bro. Chan Khoon San (trained in Myanmar's Theravada) lists the following Types of Taking What Is Not Given in his Introductory Course on Early Buddhism:


The most blatant, involving threats or force, are daylight  robbery, extortion, purse snatching, kidnapping. 
The second type is stealing or secretly taking the article without  the owner's knowledge such as housebreaking, burglary and 
  pick-pocketing. 
The third type is fraud, laying false claims or cheating by  confidence tricksters to gain someone's possessions. 
The fourth type is deceit when dishonest traders cheat their  customers by false weights and measures or supply products of  lower
  quality than specified. 
The fifth type is forgery when people pass counterfeit money as  real or sell counterfeit gold and jewelry. 
The last type, though seemingly slight, is very common and  occurs when employees take small items from their company for  their own use
  without paying for it.


Most importantly, we should not forget the main purpose of training rules: to help one "curb the grosser forms of defilements" (Bro. Chan Khoon San): 

The actions prohibited by the precepts such as killing, stealing,
  sexual misconduct, false speech and  partaking of intoxicants are all
  rooted in greed, hatred and delusion and when we succumb to them, we
  strengthen these evil roots that they become dominant traits. By
  undertaking to observe the precepts, we weaken the grip of these evil
  roots by dispelling them with wholesome mental volitions. Each time
  the precepts are upheld, each time the moral volitions become
  strengthened, until  eventually morality becomes a habitual trait
  through the condition  of repetition (asevana paccaya).

Sat-Dharma (True Dharma) is famously "good in the beginning, good in the middle and good in the end". Among other things this means that Buddhist precepts both play their role at supporting social harmony and decreasing anguish at large, AND they propel the practitioner towards Enlightenment. All interpretation of Buddhist precepts must be made in light of their dual purpose.

157: <p>Considering the second precept</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Adinnādānā veramaṇī sikkhāpadaṃ samādiyāmi.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>which I am most familiar with its translation as </p>

<blockquote>
  <p>I undertake the training rule to abstain from taking what is not given</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Does this precept only apply to cases of theft or can it be extended into more intangible possessions such as someones time or energy? Considering the answers around the <a href="https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/q/2847/157">illegal download question</a> it does seem as if there are interpretation in which it is only theft. I'd particularly like to know interpretations from different schools and the differences (or not) between them.</p>

<p>For this can we take the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theft" rel="nofollow noreferrer">definition of theft</a> as provided by wikipedia</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>theft is the taking of another person's property without that
  person's permission or consent with the intent to deprive the rightful
  owner of it.</p>
</blockquote>
 104: <p>I agree with Andrei's answer but would like to add some extra point.</p>

<p>One of Vajrayana teachers taught that every little action creates some subtle Karma and we should be mindful whenever we reach out for things. For example, when visiting friends we may find out that we forgot our toothpaste so we use the one that is in the bathroom asserting that the friends wouldn't mind us using their paste. Technically, however, we took something that was not given to us.</p>

<p>Instead of getting paranoid that we constantly create negative impressions, we can twist such situations and use them as an opportunity to generate something positive. We go ask our friends whether they could lend us some paste <em>not</em> out of fear of breaking the precept, but rather because we want to offer them a chance to be generous. It is not a big deal to offer some toothpaste to friends, but every, however small, act of generosity creates positive impressions in our minds. It is also a chance for us to express gratitude to our kind friends. </p>
 43: <p>No, it's meaning is far wider even in Theravada, let alone in Mahayana.</p>

<p>Check out <a href="http://holybooks.lichtenbergpress.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/The-Buddhist-Monastic-Code-I.pdf" rel="nofollow">Thanissaro Bhikkhu's compilation of Vinaya</a>: the cases he lists include <em>dealing with counterfeit money</em> and <em>smuggling goods without paying custom duties</em> -- which clearly goes beyond expropriating someone's property. </p>

<p>Of contemporary teachers, e.g. Bro. Chan Khoon San (trained in Myanmar's Theravada) <a href="http://www.urbandharma.org/pdf/PDF_BuddhismCourse/11_%20Five%20Precepts.pdf" rel="nofollow">lists</a> the following Types of Taking What Is Not Given in his <a href="http://www.urbandharma.org/udharma14/budcourse.html" rel="nofollow">Introductory Course on Early Buddhism</a>:</p>

<blockquote>
  <ol>
  <li>The most blatant, involving threats or force, are daylight  robbery, extortion, purse snatching, kidnapping. </li>
  <li>The second type is stealing or secretly taking the article without  the owner's knowledge such as housebreaking, burglary and 
  pick-pocketing. </li>
  <li>The third type is fraud, laying false claims or cheating by  confidence tricksters to gain someone's possessions. </li>
  <li>The fourth type is deceit when dishonest traders cheat their  customers by false weights and measures or supply products of  lower
  quality than specified. </li>
  <li>The fifth type is forgery when people pass counterfeit money as  real or sell counterfeit gold and jewelry. </li>
  <li>The last type, though seemingly slight, is very common and  occurs when employees take small items from their company for  their own use
  without paying for it.</li>
  </ol>
</blockquote>

<p>Most importantly, we should not forget the main purpose of training rules: to help one "curb the grosser forms of defilements" (Bro. Chan Khoon San): </p>

<blockquote>
  <p>The actions prohibited by the precepts such as killing, stealing,
  sexual misconduct, false speech and  partaking of intoxicants are all
  rooted in greed, hatred and delusion and when we succumb to them, we
  strengthen these evil roots that they become dominant traits. By
  undertaking to observe the precepts, we weaken the grip of these evil
  roots by dispelling them with wholesome mental volitions. Each time
  the precepts are upheld, each time the moral volitions become
  strengthened, until  eventually morality becomes a habitual trait
  through the condition  of repetition (<em>asevana paccaya</em>).</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Sat-Dharma (True Dharma) is famously "good in the beginning, good in the middle and good in the end". Among other things this means that Buddhist precepts <em>both</em> play their role at supporting social harmony and decreasing anguish at large, AND they propel the practitioner towards Enlightenment. All interpretation of Buddhist precepts must be made in light of their dual purpose.</p>
