Software Piracy

The international problem of software piracy is estimated to cost tech firms close to $18 billion a year, and was until recently contained to the streets of Asian urban centers. The problem has spread, however, and now close to 40% of all software is pirated. Yet, tech firms aren't the only ones who lose when someone uses illegal software -- these programs are notorious for having viruses that can affect all of our systems.

A new study by the Business Software Alliance reveals that two-thirds of college students wouldn't think twice about downloading illegal software.

Colleges Are Breeding Grounds for Software Piracy

Declining 2% last year to 23%, software piracy has shown to be on the decline. New research, however, estimates that it cost about 105,000 American jobs last year.

Software Piracy Slowing, Still Major Problem

A new BSA study estimates that lowering software piracy rates by 10% in 54 countries will create an additional $400 billion in revenue, 1.5 million new jobs, and $64 billion in taxes

Decreasing Software Piracy 10% Equals Huge Gains

A California woman was given nine years in prison for illegally importing $98 million worth of Microsoft and Symantec software into the United States from Taiwan.

Woman Gets Nine Year Sentence for Software Piracy

The NET Act

Read the No Electronic Theft Act passed by President Clinton in 1997

Many people don't know what exactly constitutes software piracy. Some of the lesser known violations:

	posting of serial numbers
	linking to FTP sites were software may be unlawfully obtained
	informing others of FTP sites were software may be unlawfully obtained
	allowing sites where the above information may be obtained to exist on a server
	supporting sites upon which the above information may be obtained