-
Viruses introduced by illegal
software can damage or even destroy your system.
-
Serial number clashes can cause serious disruption.
-
The lack of user manuals, reference
materials, and product support make your job even
more difficult.
-
Because you have no original
disks, you're unable to recover from a software
failure.
-
You waste time and energy sorting
out system problems.
-
You get no assurance of product
authenticity or reliability.
-
If you run a CAD environment,
you may encounter problems with output devices such
as printers and plotters. Your company can also
be seriously affected — and of course that
affects you too. But you can play a key role by
informing senior management how software piracy
directly affects them as well as the company.
-
The organization will suffer
a tarnished reputation if found guilty of copyright
infringement.
-
Criminal charges may be filed
against directors who consent or turn a blind eye
to illegal copying of software.
-
Your company forfeits product
warranties and low-priced or free upgrades.
B.
Types of Piracy
There are five common types of software piracy. Understanding
each will help users avoid problems associated with
illegal software.
End User Piracy:
This occurs when a company employee reproduces copies
of software without authorization. End user piracy
can take the following forms:
Client-Server Overuse:
This type of piracy occurs when too many employees
on a network are using a central copy of a program
at the same time. If you have a local-area network
and install programs on the server for several people
to use, you have to be sure your licence entitles
you to do so. If you have more users than allowed
by the licence, that’s “overuse”.
Internet Piracy:
This occurs when software is downloaded from the Internet
The same purchasing rules should apply to online software
purchase as for those bought in traditional ways.
Internet piracy can take the following forms:
Hard-Disk Loading:
This occurs when a business who sells new computers
loads illegal copies of software onto the hard disks
to make the purchase of the machines more attractive.
The same concerns and issues apply to Value Added
Resellers (VAR) that sell or install new software
onto computers in the workplace.
Software Counterfeiting:
This type of piracy is the illegal duplication and
sale of copyrighted material with the intent of directly
imitating the copyrighted product. In the case of
packaged software, it is common to find counterfeit
copies of the CDs or diskettes incorporating the software
programs, as well as related packaging, manuals, licence
agreements, labels, registration cards and security
features.
C.
Why a License Matters
You may not realize it, but software development involves
a team effort that blends the creative ideas and talents
of programmers, writers and graphic artists. And like
most creative works, such as books, music and films,
computer software is protected by copyright laws.
When you purchase software, you do not become the
owner of the copyright. Rather, you are purchasing
the right to use the software under certain restrictions
imposed by the copyright owner, typically the software
publisher. The precise rules are described in the
documentation accompanying the software -- the licence.
It is imperative that you understand and adhere to
these rules. Most often, they state that you have
the right to load the software onto a single computer
and make one backup copy. If you copy, distribute
or install the software in ways that the licence prohibits,
whether you are swapping disks with friends and coworkers
or participating in widespread duplication, you are
violating federal copyright law. Even if you only
help someone else make unauthorized copies, you are
still liable under the copyright law.
Apart from legal consequences, using copied or counterfeit
software also means:
