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Glossary
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- Piracysearch for term
- Piracy is a term that originally referred to thievery and criminal violence on the high seas (like the activities of actual swash-buckling pirates). However, the term has evolved to refer to the illegal obtainment and usage of copyrighted software. The charge of software piracy can be levelled in various situations. An example is if an individual creates a copy of a computer program, rather than purchasing a copy. Illegal distribution of copyrighted softtware online is also an infringement of intellectual property rights, and so is an act of piracy. Mislicensing software also qualifies as well. Piracy can be avoided by purchasing software, which makes the consumer a licensed user. The purchaser of the goods is allowed to make backup copies, but is prohibited from distributing them to others. Software piracy is a major industry problem for computer software developers, record labels, and other types of companies selling digital information. Hundreds of suits prosecuting copyright infringers are filed each year, and many cease and desist letters are distributed, but as a whole piracy is very difficult to regulate. It has been a hot topic of discussion. Many activists question the validity of the term piracy, because it connotes a rather dire level of violence and crime, as well as the ethics of the pursuit of copyright infringement at all. Some groups like the Free Software Foundation have launched their own campaigns to make information and goods more available, more free, and more open to public adaptation and distribution.
