ships of other nations: flashing pirate colors?

[anweRU]

AFAIK, the raid only affects trade routes of their enemies. Lets say you have a trade agreement with the French as Marathas. The trade route will give two numbers, the income you get and the income the French get. Then when a British fleet raids the trade route, it will decrease the French income (being raided) but not yours.

As for the GB pirates in Dayve's game - they have obviously changed from privateering to pirating! :) I guess it is just a bug. They were raiding the trade route of an enemy, but the war ended? Another explanation is that it is a pirate or Barbary state trade route?