How To Know Laws on Software Piracy

Software piracy refers to the act of copying different computer software without having to pay for them. This is a form of stealing intellectual property. Owning software and reproducing it for free is also a form of piracy as you are not the owner of the copyright of the material that you are distributing to others for free. There are different laws and punishments for different countries and regions. Some of the punishments are graver than others.

Here are some federal and state laws regarding software piracy:

1. Counterfeit Copies - Producing counterfeit copies and selling them to other consumers is a grave offense. There are different punishments in different countries but all are in agreement that making money off of someone else's intellectual property is an offense. This includes making copies of different software, such as games, video games and other software that is used for the computer.
2. Distributing Counterfeit Copies - Creating counterfeit copies and giving them away is also a form of piracy. Even if the person does not charge anything for these copies, it is considered an offense as the person is not the owner of the copyright or does not have the consent of the copyright owner to distribute the copies. This is one of the most rampant piracy practice that the anti-piracy association is trying to fight.
3. Selling Computers with Pre-installed Pirated Software - Although the item for sale here is the computer, this is considered an offense as the computer for sale is loaded with different pirated programs. This act is also known as hard disk loading. This is considered an offense because the consumer who will buy the computer does not receive the copy of the original program and the other items included with it, including the CDs or license agreements.
4. Online Sharing - Sharing of software online is prohibited. Freeware and shareware programs are the only programs that can be distributed online. Other software are not allowed to be shared with other people over the Internet. This also includes piracy music. The Internet can be used as a means of transmitting illegal software to different people around the world. This is the case for plenty of copyright software.
5. Shareware with No License - Although shareware can be legally distributed over the Internet, it becomes illegal when the license for use has already expired. This works for software that can be downloaded for a free trial. Using this software after the free trial has expired is considered software piracy. Software licensing must be acquired before these shareware programs can be shared with anyone else.

Software piracy is a grave offense that has drastic consequences. Violators of piracy laws can spend up to five years in prison and can be fined for up to $250,000. The fines may even reach millions of dollars when the owner of the copyright decides to sue for stealing intellectual property. This is because the copyright owner was prevented to profit for the use or sale of the intellectual property.