Essay on Software Piracy

Submitted By zarceri
Words: 335
Pages: 2

Software Piracy I. Background a. Been an issue since the founding of digital media b. No proven effective method to combat it has worked for long term c. Internet has always been a bastion for “free speech” and thus large negative responses to any form of regulation d. Any copyright tools have always quickly been broken (safedisk, etc.) e. Has become a hindrance to the spread of technology into poorer countries

II. Motivation for Piracy f. Price i. Often unwilling or unable to pay for the legitimate software price g. Unavailability ii. May be unavailable in their country due to restrictions and/or because it is no longer being offered (legacy software) h. DRM Issues iii. May be unable to share or backup a legitimate copy of the media due to DRM restrictions placed on the product i. Person Reasons iv. Want to try out the software but no legitimate trial version is available v. Don’t feel it is worth the price they are being charged for it.

III. Legislation in Place j. Digital Millenium Copyright Act vi. Spells out copyright laws for digital products and software and treats them the same as old content. k. PIPA and SOPA vii. Drew harsh resistance from the internet and population as a whole viii. Seen as an attempt to “censor” the internet and this drew a lot of criticism as the general consensus is that the