Software piracy is the unauthorized duplication and distribution of software, which infringes on copyrights held by the developer. It can be highly profitable and harmful to software companies, as pirated software can be faulty or loaded with malware. Penalties for piracy vary, with colleges and schools cracking down on piracy to address security concerns and complaints from software makers.
Pirated software is software that has been duplicated and distributed without permission. A number of activities could be considered software piracy, with the classic example of someone making multiple copies of a program and selling them. Software piracy is usually prosecuted under copyright infringement laws, with the argument being that piracy infringes on copyrights held by the software developer.
Since the 1700s, people have been referring to copyright infringement cases as piracy, and with the advent of the computer age, piracy started to explode because it became easy to do and potentially highly profitable. Software pirates can make a lot of money by buying a single legitimate copy of a piece of software, copying it, and selling it. People may make an informed choice to purchase pirated software, or they may be duped into purchasing illegally copied software from experienced pirates who take care to package their products in a credible manner.
If software is copied and given away, some people consider it not piracy, but simple copyright infringement. This activity is still illegal, but it provides no monetary benefit to the person doing the copying and distribution. The line blurs further when people do things like install a piece of software on multiple computers when the software license allows only one copy to be installed, or when people make backups of the software for their own use.
From the perspective of software companies, unauthorized copying and distribution, whether it is copyright infringement or outright piracy, is harmful because it robs them of profits. It can also damage their reputation, as pirated software can be faulty or loaded with malware, in which case users can express anger at the product and the company. Piracy is also a problem because it can threaten the safety of computer users, as pirated software products can be used to harvest personal information, load a computer with viruses, or engage in other activities that will harm the user.
Different types of software are pirated, from games to office productivity software. Operating systems are also popular targets for piracy. Some people may engage in piracy unknowingly, as in the case of an office that installs more copies of an operating system or program than it has licenses. Penalties for possessing and selling pirated software vary, with colleges and schools in particular cracking down on piracy to address security concerns and complaints from software makers.
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