CUPERTINO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE via COLLEGIATE PRESSWIRE)--Nov 3, 2003--Cheap food and sleepless nights have for decades typified campus life. Today, another symbol of the college experience is emerging.
It`s software piracy--that is, the distribution or downloading of unauthorized copies of software. According to a recent study by the Business Software Alliance (BSA), nearly two-thirds of college students surveyed said they would download pirated software. What`s more, just a third of students who downloaded commercial software actually paid for it.
On the other hand, 93 percent of students claimed to endorse intellectual property rights (IPR) and legitimate software development.
Needless to say, there`s a significant gap between students` behavior and their beliefs. Fortunately, the key to narrowing that gap aligns perfectly with the mission of virtually every university and college: education. By understanding what software piracy is, who it affects, and how it can be reduced, students--and educators--can begin to curb this growing trend and, in turn, actively support the principles they advocate.
What Is It?
There are several types of software piracy but one of the most problematic is software counterfeiting, where copyrighted material is illegally duplicated and sold.
Counterfeit software comes in all shapes and sizes. Some bogus software is perfectly packaged and looks identical to the real thing. Other times, it`s not shrinkwrapped or boxed, lacks documentation, has handwritten labels, and sports misspelled manufacturer or product names.
Under the hood, counterfeit software is rarely worth its price, even when bought at a special 90 percent student discount. Critical files are often missing or, in some cases, malicious code such as a virus or spyware is added. And the software is never supported by the vendor and can never be upgraded.
Counterfeit software is typically peddled over the Internet, frequently via spam, but rarely over secure sites. It is also sold at flea markets or through mail order.
Who Is Affected?
Software counterfeiting is big business--by some estimates, it cost the world economy $11 billion in lost revenue last year. It`s also costing jobs. And students and consumers who purchase bogus software have little to show for their investment choice. At best, the software they receive doesn`t work properly; at worst, they don`t receive anything at all.
''For cash-strapped college students, low-cost or even free pirated software is no bargain,'' says William Plante, director, Corporate Security and Brand Protection at Symantec Corporation. ''In the case of counterfeit security software, students remain vulnerable to new Internet threats because their bogus software cannot be updated. What`s more, they are also at risk of malicious code that counterfeiters conceal in their products and use as booby traps.''
Software counterfeiters, in contrast, enjoy a variety of money-making opportunities--from harvesting consumers` credit card numbers to cashing in on someone else`s labors.
And who are these counterfeiters? Some are mom-and-pop shops; others are complex and sophisticated enterprises. According to one veteran IPR investigator, many are tied to organized crime.
What To Do?
By following a few simple best practices, students can avoid participating in software counterfeiting schemes:
1. Purchase software through secure, legitimate stores and online retailers. A growing number of software manufacturers now list these sources on their company Web sites. A locked padlock icon identifies secure sites.
2. Avoid offers that seem too good to be true, regardless of whether a product is advertised as new, used, or genuine or is touted as part of a ''rare inventory liquidation sale'' or the like.
3. Do not purchase products advertised via spam. Responding to unsolicited bulk email, or spam, puts students at risk of credit card theft and fraud. In fact, antispam experts recommend that users not even ask to be taken off a spammer`s list because doing so only confirms the user`s email address and results in yet more spam.
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