Software Piracy needs no introduction. Software piracy is unauthorized/ illegal, using copying or distribution of software. This may also include the unauthorized use of software without obtaining a proper license from authorized manner and using it, copying it or distributing it. According to a recent research it is found that India is one of the most piracy software using countries amongst the Southern Asian Countries. And in a research conducted by BSA it is concluded that almost 36% of software are pirated that are being used globally. According to the laws, software cannot be patented but can be copyrighted. It thus clearly instates that you have to resolve the ‘same’ problem with your own ‘unique’ Code.
What exactly does the laws states:
In India, the copyright of computer software is protected under the Indian Copyright Act of 1957. According to Nasscom, software piracy involves the use, reproduction or distribution without having received the expressed permission of the software author. Software piracy comes in four common forms –
End User Piracy: It occurs when users of software install the software on more machines than they are entitled to under their license agreements.
Hard Disk Loading: It occurs when computer dealers install illegal copies of software onto computers prior to their sale.
Software Counterfeiting: It involves the illegal reproduction, and subsequent sale of software in a form that is nearly identical to the original product.
Internet Piracy: It occurs when individuals place unauthorized copies of software on the Internet for download.
Under the Indian Copyright Act, of 2000, a software pirate can be tried under both civil and criminal law. The minimum jail term for software copyright infringement is seven days to three years. Statutory fines range from a minimum of 50,000 to 200,000 rupees.
Piracy and Software Business
The most affected by this Software Piracy is the Software Business. The software companies are suffering from this dilemma for a long time. People have stopped believing in buying the licenses and are giving into the pirated versions of the software. The market does not respond the way the software companies have expected. Reason because after the supplies half of the demands are actually been fulfilled by the ‘software pirates’. Revenues are not generated and thus the businesses suffer.
It is highly shameful how people are doing something like stealing the work and hard work of someone else’s. The people have to start discouraging these kind of activities and start saying ‘NO’. Because without their encouragement ‘the software pirates’ will be doing the piracy for nothing and ultimately one day they will be forced to stop all this. And ultimately we are the ones who will be profited. Stop encouraging the Software Piracy.