file off the serial numbers

Meaning: (fandomslang,idiomatic)To remove thecopyrightedelements from an existing work offan fictionso that it may becommerciallypublishedasoriginalfiction.1998March 6, Julie Lim, “Help!”, inrec.arts.sf.composition‎[1](Usenet):For a while now, I've been pottering away at a Star Wars fanfic novella ([URL redacted], if you must know). I've received a few pokes aboutfiling off the serial numbersand trying to sell it as an independent work.2002January 15, David Thornley, “Re: harry potter”, inrec.games.int-fiction‎[2](Usenet):I've heard a rumor that Bujold started the Barrayar series as Star Trek fanfic, and there's enough resemblance there to make that seem very plausible to me. Suppose she did. Byfiling off the serial numbers, she was able to make the universe her own, to change as she needed to.2012April 1, Elizabeth Tai, “Quantity over quality?”, inThe Star, Malaysia:I say “may have” because [E. L.] James has “filed off the serial numbers” of her fanfic.

Examples:

EN: "Used" as in previously owned by Blake Wyatt for the time that it took him to buy them from Gerry's Sporting Goods, then file off the serial numbers, and then sell them on to Clay Malone as "stolen,"
ES: "Usadas" por el anterior propietario Blake Wyatt durante el tiempo que le tomó comprarlas en la armería de Gerry, eliminar los números de serie, y después vendérselas a Clay Malone como "robadas", porque los delincuentes pagarán diez veces el precio al público
EN: High-end electronics, you file off the serial numbers and sell them immediately.
ES: En electrónicos, les borras los números de serie y los vendes enseguida.
EN: You and me are gonna grab a couple of motorcycles, file off the serial numbers, head down to Baja, see what kind of trouble we can get into.
ES: Tu y yo vamos a coger un par de motos, borrar los números de serie, ir hasta Baja ver en que tipo de problemas podemos entrar.

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