Crime that Pays (and Pretty Well, Too)

Now a days digital piracy has become one if the major problem in software technology.
Digital piracy means the illegal distribution and/ or copying of software for personal or business use. Its an explosive issue, and it cuts right to the perception, protection and enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR). Although software or data piracy is an illegal work but it could not be stopped. Almost every country gets some steps, applying piracy law to get rid from it.

Software can be pirates in several ways such as, End User piracy, Pre-Installed software,
Internet Piracy, Counterfeiting, Online Auction piracy; because like other digital product its easy to make duplicate copies that are usually as good as the original. The Business Software Alliance (BSA) reports that of all the packaged software installed on PCs worldwide in 2005, no less than 35% was acquired illegally at a cost of $34 billion in losses to software makers and distributors that figure is up from losses of $29 billion in 2003. A research shows that in 2005 Vietnam as a country has the lowest rate of illegal installation that was 21%. Software piracy ranking by Region shows that in 2005, 69% of all pirated software originated in Central/ Eastern Europe, 68% in Latin America, 57% in the Middle East & Africa and 54% in the Asia Pacific Region.

Several parties, including software makers, industry associations, and Governments has
an interest in pursuing solution to the piracy problem usually by means of legislation and political co-operations. In the 1980s and 1990s many companies integrated anti-copying mechanisms into products. At the same time software companies began to lobby governments to enact laws supporting their IPRs. The United States for example, elevated software piracy from a misdemeanor to felony. The United States also became more vigorous in its enforcement efforts, threatening to sanction countries with especially onerous and egregious IPR violations such as India, Russia, Argentina, China, Thailand, Turkey and the Ukraine.

In addition industry association notably the BSA, the Software and Information Industry
Association (SIIA), and the International Anti-Counterfeiting Coalition (IACC), spearhead efforts to spur governments to toughen laws. Normally these multinational organizations provide

global services in public policy, business development, corporate education and intellectual property protection. The BSA for example maintains programs in more than 80 countries. Each national units works to promote a legal online world by negotiating with Govt. and consumers in the international software and internet markets, especially working to educate consumers on software management and copyright protection, cyber security, e-commerce, and other internet related issues. BSA members include companies like Microsoft, Adobe, SAP, Siemens, Intel and Apple computers.

The war against piracy won because of a greater variety of factors, including the
growing global reach of software companies, high profile legal proceedings, increased Govt. cooperation, the criminalization of software piracy and tougher trade agreements. It is again decline in global software price was narrowing the gap between legal and illegal prices.