software piracy

In computing, unauthorized duplication of computer software. Although some software piracy is done by companies for financial gain, most piracy is done by private individuals who lend disks to friends or copy programs from the workplace to their computers at home.

Software manufacturers' attempts to protect their property - for example, by using special codes to prevent programs from being installed more than once from each set of disks - have proved unpopular with users and possible to bypass by determined copiers. Because computer data is so easy to duplicate, and the use of unauthorized software is so hard to detect, it is almost impossible to enforce anti-piracy law. The only sure way to prevent it appears to be for manufacturers to sell each copy of their software with a dongle - a coded plug that must actually be fitted to the computer for the software to function.

Software piracy is a particular problem in the developing world. In India, for example, it is estimated that 60% of the software market is in pirated software.