Software Piracy
Software piracy, a form of copyright infringement, is a huge problem that costs the software development industry billions each year. Customers also feel the hurt due to higher prices and often-cumbersome anti-piracy mechanisms that some software programs use.
Popular commercial software packages, like Microsoft's Windows operating system and Adobe's Photoshop software, are the biggest targets, but any software package can be targeted, and the suffering isn't limited to commercial or proprietary software. Code can be pirated from open source software programs, which hurts the spread and development of that software.
If you value the quality of the software you use, please follow the licensing requirements. If you become aware of someone that is pirating software, please report them to the software manufacturer and appropriate authorities.
Learn more and take action:
- "Copyright infringement of software" from Wikipedia:
- The Business Software Alliance Anti-Piracy Information:
The Software & Information Industry Association's Anti-Piracy Division:
- Microsoft's Software Piracy Protection Home:
- Adobe's Anti-Piracy Initiative: