Computer Crime

• Software Piracy
• Protections from Piracy 

Software Piracy: 

• Software piracy – the illegal copying of software programs – is the biggest legal issue affecting the computer industry.
• Piracy is of greatest concern to developers of commercial software, or programs that must be purchased before using.
• Piracy is less of a concern for shareware makers, whose programs must be registered but not always purchased. 
• Piracy is not a concern for freeware, which is software that can be freely distributed by anyone.

Protections from Piracy: 

Various forms of copy protection have been used to discourage piracy, including:

•  Installation diskettes that record the number of times the software is installed.
• Hardware locks, without which the program cannot function.
• Passwords, serial numbers, or other codes required for installation.