以上三個(gè)單詞都可在海商法中用于指海上的漂流物。其中， lagan (也稱(chēng)為 lagend; lagon；ligan；ligen；lagan)(系標(biāo)投棄物）和jetsam (投棄物）都是指船舶遇到風(fēng)暴或其他危險(xiǎn)時(shí)為減輕船載而故意投向大海的貨物（goods deliberately thrown over to lighten ship)。區(qū)別在于lagan是指貨主為今后尋找到它們，故在貨物上系有浮標(biāo)(Goods cast into the sea tied to a buoy so that they may be found again by the owner)的投棄物[1]。 jetsman 則屬于完全放棄情況下未系標(biāo)志的投棄貨物；在英國(guó)，jetsman如被重新發(fā)現(xiàn)，除原所有人有權(quán)請(qǐng)求償還外，應(yīng)屬于國(guó)王所有[2]。flotsam (海上漂流物）（也稱(chēng)為floatage; flotage)除包括為減輕船載而有意投棄的貨物外，還包括失事船舶中漂出的物品（goods which float upon the sea when cast overboard for the safety of the ship or when a ship is sunk)[3]，若在一年零一天內(nèi)貨物所有人不予認(rèn)領(lǐng)，該貨物即歸王室所有。

[1] Cf. Daphne Dukelow, The Dictionary of Canadian Law，at p. 561, Thomson professional Publishing Canada (1991 ).

[2] "Various legal authorities at various times have attempted to distinguish jetsam from flotsam and lagan by restricting the use of this term either to jettisoned material that floated a shore or to jettisoned material that sank and was not attached to a buoy. ” Cf. James E. Clapp, Random House Webster’s Dictionary of the Law, at p. 251，Random House (2000).

[3] Cf. The Publishers Editorial Staff, Black's Law Dictionary, abridged 6th edition,  at p. 443, West Publishing Co. (1991).