Microsoft resellers, software users and customers can all be victims of software piracy. The illegal duplication and distribution of software has a significant impact on the economy, costing Australia millions of dollars a year in job losses, retail dollar losses and governmental tax losses – money that would have gone back into local communities. In addition, companies facing loss of revenue due to piracy must pull resources from the development of new technology, and devote it to protecting both their software and its legitimate users.
Research has found there is a significant amount of malicious or unwanted code present on Web sites that offer counterfeit software, key generators, and crack tools.

Specifically, malicious or unwanted software was found in:
  • 25% of the Web sites (25 of 98 sites) offering counterfeit product keys, pirated software, key generators, or crack tools.
  • 11% of key generators and crack tools (13 out of 116) from Web sites.
  • 59% of key generators and crack tools (55 of 94) downloaded from P2P networks.

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    Footnote: Research by IDC (sponsored by Microsoft) dated 2006
If you suspect that you have been a victim
of software piracy, Click here and find out how you
can report it.
What is piracy?
You might be surprised by what is considered piracy. Click here to learn more about the different
What is piracy?
Why licenses matter
Do you know the difference between owning software and other types of ownership? Click here to find out more about
Why Licenses Matter.
Intellectual property
You use intellectual property all the time, whether you know it or not. Pick up any book, and although you hold the paper in your hands, the content actually belongs to the
author who wrote it, or the publishing company that printed it. This also applies to Microsoft software. In fact, anything that can have a patent or a copyright is intellectual property. Find out more about Intellectual Property by
clicking here.
Product Identification Service
If you have any doubts about the legitimacy of your Microsoft software, we recommend that you take advantage of the Product
Identification Service by completing the Product Identification Form and submitting your Microsoft software to the team for verification.