Why does it matter?
Why should you care about software piracy? There are quite a few good reasons, but the main one is that it's risky to use fake or illegal software. Whether you unwittingly buy a sophisticated fake or knowingly download a pirated program from a peer to peer (P2P) site, you simply don't know what effect the software will have on your laptop or PC. You could well end up with unwanted "nasties" such as viruses and malware. Or worse, your personal details may be vulnerable to attack. Identity theft is bad enough, but have you thought about losing your holiday photos or other important files? Plus you could be out of pocket if your damaged machine needs fixing, or if you were conned into paying full price for a very convincing fake.
If you think this is all a little over the top, you might like to know that a recent IDC white paper found that, "59% of key generators and crack tools downloaded from peer-to-peer networks contained either malicious or potentially unwanted software." Plus fake and illegal Microsoft software doesn't come with the support, warranties and updates that you get with the genuine article. You might be surprised to know that 26% of software used in the UK is pirated* - so this isn't a drop-in-the-ocean problem.
It's bad for our economy
Did you know that in 2007 the UK lost nearly £935m ($1.84bn) to software piracy? This figure comes from the 5th Annual BSA and IDC Global Software Piracy Study. With the tax income from money like that we could build quite a few schools and hospitals!
The dark side
Sometimes counterfeiters are criminal gangs who make money through fakes as well as (say) drug dealing – they see it as less risky, mostly because in many countries it's a commonly-held view that counterfeiting is a "victimless crime". (But when unsuspecting customers are left out of pocket, we don't see it that way.) So if you're ever tempted by a bargain that you suspect is pirated, think whose pockets you might be lining. More on fakes and organised crime.
Fair play
More often than not, we are working to protect innocent customers who have been duped by unscrupulous counterfeiters or illegal traders. But there is a minority of people out there who think it's ok to run pirated software. At the end of the day if you're using something, you should pay for it. You wouldn't walk out of a supermarket without paying for what's in your trolley, and it shouldn't be any different for software. And if you're short on sympathy for large software companies' profits, bear in mind that for every £1 Microsoft loses to software piracy, all the businesses that actually sell you the software lose £5.50**.
* Figure from the 5th Annual BSA and IDC Global Software Piracy Study
** Source: Global IDC Partner Piracy Impact Study, July 2008
