Anti-Piracy
What is piracy?
Piracy is copying and/or distribution of software for personal and/or business use without the authorization of the copyright holder. Software piracy is considered an act of copyright infringement and the infringer can face legal ramifications. Educating yourself about different types of piracy will prevent you from becoming a victim of not only piracy, but perhaps a victim of identity theft, fraud or other crimes.
What many fail to realize is that the harmful effects of software piracy reach far beyond the software publisher. While software manufacturers certainly feel the crunch, our channel partners and most importantly, our customers suffer as well.
Software is one of the most valuable technologies of the Information Age, running everything from personal computers and mobile devices to the internet. Unfortunately, because software is so valuable and because digital technology makes it easy to create an exact copy of a program in seconds, software piracy is a widespread problem. There are five common types of software piracy and the bottom line is that software piracy has serious consequences.
Unfortunately, it can be all too easy for a consumer to purchase counterfeit or other unauthorized software, through online stores, auction sites, or brick and mortar storefronts, however they have no right to use or redistribute it. In addition, consumers face significant risks when using unauthorized software. Counterfeit software could contain viruses or other malicious code that can damage your device or lead to identity theft. Illegitimate software also does not come with proper manuals, warranties or support services. To help protect consumers and to safeguard its intellectual property rights, NortonLifeLock investigates and takes aggressive measures to stop instances of piracy on a global basis.