Illegal software downloading facts

Software piracy applies mainly to full-function commercial software. The time-limited or function-restricted versions of commercial software called shareware are less likely to be pirated since they are freely available.

Similarly, freeware , a type of software that is copyrighted but freely distributed at no charge, also offers little incentive for piracy. It seems that illegal software is available anywhere, to anyone, at any time. The following are some of the methods by which illegal copies of software circulate among computer users.

Softlifting — The most common type of piracy, softlifting, also called softloading , means sharing a program with someone who is not authorized by the license agreement to use it. A common form of softlifting involves purchasing a single licensed copy of software and then loading the software onto several computers, in violation of licensing terms. On college campuses, it is rare to find a software program that has not been softloaded.

Softlifting is common in both businesses and homes. Hard disk loading — Often committed by hardware dealers, this form of piracy involves loading an unauthorized copy of software onto a computer being sold to the end user. This makes the deal more attractive to the buyer, at virtually no cost to the dealer. Harassed by a copyright troll? Hundreds of thousands of U. Besides, having a lawyer handle your case often ends up being less expensive than giving into settlement letter demands.

First, even though it rarely happens, federal law mandates heavy fines and possible jail time for those found guilty of illegal downloading.

At In May , superhero movies were the most pirated content. Millennials are most likely to find pirating normal. International Piracy Statistics 8. The United States has the most visits to piracy sites. Between , and , jobs are lost due to digital video piracy in the USA. Music Piracy Statistics The price is the most common reason for downloading pirated music worldwide. More than one-third of music listeners still pirate music.

There were 17 million stream-rippers in the USA in Software Piracy Statistics Asia-Pacific region was the epicenter of software piracy in It takes days for organizations to detect an unlicensed software package.

Ebook Piracy Statistics There were Conclusion The above mentioned piracy statistics and facts should serve as a sign of how much global online piracy has progressed in recent years. Frequently Asked Questions Q: How common is piracy? A: Statistics on global piracy show that over billion visits were found to piracy sites just in alone. Q: What country did pirates originate from? Q: What content is most pirated by users? This is according to this interesting infographic, which also claims that both Mac OS X Lion and Snow Leopard were being pirated more at any given time.

Adobe Photoshop is one of the most pirated pieces of software worldwide. If each torrent file was approximately 20 kB, by switching to Magnet links they would have saved around 80 GB of space. This is based on three sources: a University of Ballarat study that concluded 0. Copyright infringement is not theft, as codified in laws across many nations. Theft falls under criminal law in most circumstances, whereas copyright infringement falls under civil law.

Theft also sees the original owner deprived of the use of the item in question, which is not the case for copyright infringement.