Reasons to pirate software:
1. it’s free
Reasons not to pirate software:
1. some pirated copies don’t even work correctly.
2. you have a moderate risk of getting malicious code with it.
3. you don’t get updates, you could become a victim of identity theft, your machine will be vulnerable to a lot of malware and will probably become part of a spam-spewing botnet that makes money for organized crime.
4. if you make a large enough collection of pirated software available via P-2-P, the men in blue suits might come knocking on your door and you could get sued for several hundred $K.
5. you’ll be part of a collective of people worldwide who steal almost a trillion dollars each year.
This message comes to you from the Business Software Alliance.
Story here.
BSA report, “Software Piracy on the Internet: A Threat To Your Security,” here.
Tom Kelchner