Don’t feel like splurging on a computer program you will only use a few times? Or paying for a film with less than glowing reviews? Why not borrow the license from a friend or download the film from a sketchy site? Becoming a software pirate is easier than you think. These occasional and seemingly insignificant acts can result in monetary penalties and cyber threats. Read on to find out how to avoid internet piracy and stay safe online.
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Software piracy is the act of illegally using, copying, modifying, distributing, sharing, or selling computer software protected by copyright laws. A software pirate is anyone who intentionally or unintentionally commits these illegal acts.
You don’t have to be a hacker to become a software pirate. It’s enough to use illegal software or copy and share legal software without the author’s consent.
Copyright laws have been created to make sure software developers (engineers, programmers, graphic designers, writers) receive appropriate credit and compensation for their work. Software piracy is illegal and considered a crime because whenever software is used, copied, or sold illegally, these copyright holders are robbed of their payment and recognition.
The end-user license agreement (EULA) is the most common license for software protection. It is a legal contract between the software manufacturer (or author) and the end-user (or customer) that defines the rules of the software use. These contracts can have different clauses, but most of them forbid the user to share the software with others. Typically, EULAs are signed digitally upon the installation of the software. Otherwise, the installation cannot be completed.
Copyright infringement may result in large fines and risks to your online security. But what specific actions fall under the umbrella term of software piracy?
These are the main types of software piracy that you should steer clear of when purchasing and using software programs or downloading online content.
Softlifting, also known as end-user piracy, is the most common type of software piracy. It happens when you purchase a piece of software and share it with people who are not authorized to use it. This practice is common in corporate and educational environments, where the user only pays the software vendor a licensing fee for one software program or application but downloads it on multiple computers.
Softliftin also includes benefiting from software upgrades without having a licensed version of the old software being upgraded as well as using non-commercial software (meant for one computer only) or academic or restricted software without a proper license.
Software counterfeiting is the illegal copying, distribution, and/or selling of licensed computer software. Other elements that come with the software may be also counterfeited, for example, the license agreement, packaging, registration information, and security features. Cybercriminals usually present counterfeit software as authentic but sell it for a lower price than the original.
Hard disk loading is a form of commercial software piracy in which a PC reseller buys a legal piece of computer software, copies it, installs it on a computer’s hard disk, and sells the computer. Having software already installed makes the business’ offer more attractive to customers, most of whom aren’t even aware that they are also purchasing unlicensed software.
Client-server overuse occurs when a company allows the number of users of a particular software to exceed the number of licenses the company has for the software. This happens when the company installs the software on its local area network instead of an individual computer, making it possible for multiple users to use the same software at the same time.
Online piracy, also known as internet piracy, is the illegal sharing, selling, and acquiring of software on the internet. Online piracy is committed on:
You don’t need to search far and wide for everyday examples of software piracy. Here are some common ones you will probably find familiar:
Whether you engage in software piracy knowingly or not, it is still a federal crime that poses multiple risks.
Using pirated software might be cheaper than buying original software, but you should be aware of the dangers that await a software pirate.
Being familiar with the risks is step one, while step two is taking action to avoid software piracy altogether.
Take the following actions to protect yourself from taking part in software piracy and stay safe online:
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