SOFTWARE PIRACY

JAI ACADEMY

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software piracy

Software piracy has become a worldwide issue with China, the United States and India being the top three offenders. The commercial value of pirated software is $19 billion in North America and Western Europe and has reached $27.3 billion in the rest of the world. According to the 2018 Global Software Survey, 37% of software installed on personal computers is unlicensed software.

Types of Software Piracy:

• Softlifting – The most common type of piracy, softlifting, (also called softloading), means sharing a program with someone who is not authorized by the license agreement to use it. A common form of softlifting involves purchasing a single licensed copy of software and then loading the software onto several computers, in violation of licensing terms. On college campuses, it is rare to find a software program that has not been softloaded. People regularly lend programs to their roommates and friends, either not realizing it’s wrong, or not thinking that it’s a big deal. Softlifting is common in both businesses and homes.
• Hard disk loading – Often committed by hardware dealers, this form of piracy involves loading an unauthorized copy of software onto a computer being sold to the end user. This makes the deal more attractive to the buyer, at virtually no cost to the dealer. The dealer usually does not provide the buyer with manuals or the original CDs of the software. This is how operating systems, like Windows 95, are often pirated.
• Renting – Renting involves someone renting out a copy of software for temporary use, without the permission of the copyright holder. The practice, similar to that of renting a video from Blockbuster, violates the license agreement of software.
• OEM un-bundling – Often just called “un-bundling,” this form of piracy means selling stand-alone software originally meant to be included with a specific accompanying product. An example of this form of piracy is someone providing drivers to a specific printer without authorization.
• Counterfeiting – Counterfeiting means producing fake copies of a software, making it look authentic. This involves providing the box, CDs, and manuals, all designed to look as much like the original product as possible. Microsoft products are the ones most commonly counterfeited, because of their widespread use. Most commonly, a copy of a CD is made with a CD-burner, and a photocopy of the manual is made. Counterfeit software is sold on street corners, and sometimes unknowingly sold even in retail stores. Counterfeit software is sold at prices far below the actual retail price.