Internet Piracy

Internet Piracy

Have you ever downloaded or copied files to your computer that other people buy with their hard earned money? Are you using a copied version of Microsoft Office, a game, or pirated software for your company? There are many people in the United States and other countries that are using pirated software. U.S. companies controls about 80 percent of the world software market and software piracy has wiped out some companies and drained profits from others. (Software Piracy) All the software that the U.S. makes can be copied. U.S. companies are losing more than 2 billion dollars a year from software pirated in the United States but they are losing 5 times as much in other countries. Piracy is the unauthorized reproduction or use of a copyrighted book, recording, television program, patented invention, or trademarked product. The people that steal software include software counterfeiters, legitimate businesses, and individuals. The FBI and U.S. government are trying to control piracy by making tougher laws, enforcing the law, and by making adding better protection to the software.

For every legal program sold at Egghead, Comp USA, Comp City, CompuAd or any of thousands of local retailers and mail-order outlets, the Software Publishers Association (SPA) says three to seven illegal copies are in circulation. There are thousands of organized secret networks of private computer called "bulletin boards" that sell, give away and swap hundreds of thousands of pirated games, movies, music and programs for word processing, desktop publishing. (Software Privacy) Congress last year passed legislation making the illegal copying of software a felony instead of a misdemeanor. The Business Software Alliance (BSA) and the Software Publishers Association (SPA) have taken a many companies to court for using and making illegal copies of software and have settled out of court with many others. The Music business are try to get the consumers to stop downloading and sharing music online and so they can less CD's at a lower price. Since the people think that the prices are still too high for 1 CD's, the Music industry copyright-infringement suits against consumers but that will not help industry because they are attacking the consumers.

There are many programs that help spread pirated software, games, movies, music, and other copyrighted files. One of the more popular programs that are being use to download pirated software is Limewire and there are many people using it daily. Should consumers be able to "rip" music from the original CD? The music industry sees music sharing as piracy but majority of file-sharers which are young do not see music sharing as piracy. Is copying the same thing as stealing? Young people today freely share music and software over the internet and know they are doing something illegal but still do it. There are laws such as the Digital Millennium Copyright Act and other laws prohibits coping of files. I think that as long as people are getting away with downloading pirated software, people will continue to do it.

I believe that downloading pirated software on the internet is wrong and the government should find a way to stop people from downloaded