Buying  Software

Me? A software pirate? Is your business unwittingly using illegal software?

Nobody likes to think of themselves as a criminal, but rather like jumping a red light, many people think it's OK to use unlicensed software. Even if you don't, it's your responsibility to make sure your software is licensed correctly - and it can be easy to slip into bad habits.

If you thought that piracy was a victimless crime, or simply not a crime at all, think again. If you are using unlicensed software - you are stealing it. You might have downloaded it, or bought it in a market. You might simply have bought the rights for 10 licenses but taken on more staff.

We are all victims
In the eyes of the law, you are still a software pirate. Like music piracy, stolen software has flourished because enforcement has been patchy. That, according to the software industry, is changing: after all, the BSA points out that pirated software in India alone costs companies huge money every year.

The good, the bad, the ugly
One reason is that the internet has made it easier for whistleblowers to report you. A senior legal counsel for the Federation Against Software Theft, says there are three types of software pirate: " The good pirate temporarily falls out of compliance and is keen to put it right. The bad one has software licences that are constantly in disarray. The ugly ones never had any intention of buying licences in the first place. "