Software piracy is widespread and affects thousands of businesses and users globally. Even with laws and regulations to tackle this issue, it still manages to damage the rights of copyright owners within countless industries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This article explains the main software piracy types, reviews the most common risks, and sees how significant companies prevent this practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Software piracy is the intentional or unintentional illegal copying, selling, using, or sharing of legally protected software.<\/strong> When you buy any program, you become a licensed user and are allowed a specific number of licenses. Pirating software involves cracking or changing specific software files so the license-checking system can be disabled or fooled, leaving additional features unlocked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In most cases, you\u2019ll have a chance to copy the software you purchased as a backup if you accidentally delete it or no longer have access to your device. However, suppose you copy and share<\/strong> the software with someone else. In that case, you\u2019re in direct copyright violation<\/strong><\/a> and could face legal repercussions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Internet users often indulge in activities they deem completely legal without even realizing they\u2019re committing software piracy. To stay within the bounds of the law, we should be able to recognize piracy types<\/strong> and stop ourselves from taking part in damaging the owners, writers, and developers of the software we use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are five different types of software piracy.<\/strong> While you may have heard of some, others may be entirely new to most people. These are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The illegal copying or distribution of software that\u2019s copyright-protected is called counterfeiting.<\/strong> It\u2019s typically done to imitate the original product and redistribute it. Other than the counterfeit software, security features, license agreements, labels, packaging, and registration cards can also be copied.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Many users aren\u2019t always able to tell that a software program is counterfeit and, therefore, an illegal copy since the program itself and any additional elements have been carefully made to seem almost entirely authentic. These products are usually sold at lower prices<\/strong> than the original software programs to attract more buyers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Internet piracy<\/a> also involves copying and uploading licensed software to the internet<\/strong>. Users who download pirated programs are also held legally responsible for internet piracy. Even those committed to only purchasing software from official vendors can easily be tricked into piracy because websites can be made to look almost identical to the official publisher\u2019s page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Users should always avoid a few websites<\/strong>, including: <\/p>\n\n\n\n Some peer-to-peer networks<\/a> that let you transfer copyright-protected programs<\/strong> should also be avoided because it\u2019s hard to tell which programs are under copyright protection and which aren\u2019t. While peer-to-peer networks are entirely legal, you\u2019ll commit a crime if you download copyrighted content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Softlifting, softloading, or end-user piracy is the most widespread software piracy<\/strong>. It usually involves one person buying a licensed copy of the software and then sharing it with many people who are not legally authorized to use it. This mainly happens when the licensed user is allowed to use the program on only one device but acts as a software pirate and shares it with many others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n End-user piracy can often be seen in friend groups or among students who might not fully know how such severe actions are. Additionally, having unlicensed software installed is common within homes and even workplaces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Softlifters frequently capitalize on the benefits of software upgrades they don\u2019t have a legal right to and use software without having a proper license.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hard disk loading is commercial software piracy that happens when computer sellers install unauthorized copies of the software program on their computers<\/strong>, so potential buyers will find them more attractive. Apart from appearing to offer better deals, these people expect customers to come back for a software upgrade or to buy other programs from them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n These programs are also illegal copies of authentic software programs, and some of the most common illegally distributed programs installed on computers are operating systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Similar to softlifting, client-server overuse is a software piracy type in which one legitimate software copy is used by more users than intended by the end-user license agreement.<\/strong> However, what distinguishes client-server overuse from softlifting is that the software installed on a local area network (LAN) is used on multiple computers within that network.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On average, this online piracy represents willful infringement, and software pirates do it to cut costs. This can sometimes be seen in workplaces or group university projects, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The <\/strong>effects of software piracy<\/strong><\/a> are far-reaching and severe<\/strong>. It affects businesses, individual users, and the software industry and poses legal, productivity-related, and security risks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A third of all websites that distribute stolen content, including software, expose internet users to malware. Moreover, users who pirate content are 28 times more likely to have their devices infected with malware than those who only visit mainstream, licensed websites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As you can see, there are better cyber environments to find yourself in than this one. You can download an infected file<\/strong> or get a program that will put your device at risk since it doesn\u2019t include a subscription to the necessary updates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Using software that can\u2019t be updated leaves room for possible threats that can exploit existing vulnerabilities and infect your entire network. One of the main reasons our programs get updates is that they\u2019re regularly being improved with security patches that can prevent novel attacks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you pirate software or content in the United States and get caught red-handed, you face up to <\/strong>five years of jail time, a $250,000 fine, and a felony record<\/strong><\/a>. However, since piracy is a federal crime, there might be more to your troubles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The copyright owner is entitled to sue you for damages, which can result in additional hundreds and thousands of dollars you\u2019d have to pay. If you\u2019re a business owner, you will risk your freedom, complete financial collapse, and the loss of all your assets (including the company itself).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Businesses relying on unlicensed software solutions should rethink their strategy, as these programs can slow down or eventually halt their operations. Since pirated software runs thanks to various hacks, it often might lack the features necessary for completing tasks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you can\u2019t update it, it might not work properly<\/strong>, leaving you unable to catch up on your daily activities. When that happens, and you need to contact technical or customer support, you\u2019ll realize that pirating wasn\u2019t the best decision since you\u2019re not entitled to any aid if you didn\u2019t legally obtain the program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Software piracy is a severe problem for those who spend months and years developing solutions that millions benefit from. Publishers are losing money to pirates, and their companies need help to thrive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n These resources could be used for research, improvement, and development of new programs, and publishers would be able to offer lower prices for their products and services. The entire industry is affected<\/strong>, and that\u2019s why serious measures are being taken to tackle this problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Moreover, companies from various industries suffer significant setbacks due to competitors that see no problem with pirating. The main motive of competitors who pirate is to save money they would otherwise spend on original software, which is thus disadvantageous to companies that legitimately obtain needed software.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you are an individual user, always carefully read the End User License Agreement<\/strong> to see whether you can make backup copies and how many devices you can use the software.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Note that you still won\u2019t be allowed to sell or distribute the previous version when you get the software upgrade. Moreover, if you\u2019re buying a program online, ensure that you do it from the official website and not a fake look-alike.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Finally, if you purchased software and think it might be a pirated version, report it to the authorities. By doing this, you\u2019re helping the publishers, the software industry, and fellow consumers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re a business owner, you can educate your employees on the terms and conditions of their software<\/strong> and establish a clear software policy explaining how and how the staff can use any program. It would be best if each employee could sign an anti-piracy statement. You could also train your staff to recognize different software piracy examples<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let\u2019s see what other ways companies employ to deal with piracy:<\/p>\n\n\n\n To challenge piracy, some software companies equipped their products with protocols that immediately shut down the program<\/strong> whenever someone tries to modify the source code. This solution was created because pirates often try to change the program\u2019s code when copying the software.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Most programs you purchase will require a key to unlock the software. You can find it on the packaging, or there will be instructions on where to look for it. The key consists of numbers and letters<\/strong> and guarantees that only one person can use the purchased program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Software owners compete not only with other publishers but also with software pirates. To motivate consumers to buy authentic products instead of pirating them online, they work toward ensuring better benefits, more affordable prices, and extra features that users can\u2019t get if they download a pirated alternative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some companies can help you track who is using your software and in what way. With anti-piracy software, you can encrypt and protect the source code<\/strong> from getting manipulated or stolen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The beginnings of software piracy were benign. At the very start, people shared simple applications between personal computers. Still, they didn\u2019t have much at their disposal, and the computers of the time couldn\u2019t really do many things, so there wasn\u2019t even a software piracy definition, let alone prevention measures.<\/p>\n\n\n\nTypes of Software Piracy<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Counterfeiting<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Internet Piracy<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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Softlifting<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Hard Disk Loading<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Client-Server Overuse<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Dangers of Software Piracy<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Security Risks<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Legal Consequences<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Productivity Issues<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Software Piracy Effects on Copyright Owners<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Software Piracy Prevention<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Tamper-Proofing<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
License Keys<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Anti-Piracy Incentives<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Anti-Piracy Software<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
The History of Software Piracy<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n