Internet Piracy

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Internet Software Piracy: A Multifaceted Challenge

Online software piracy is an evolving and multifaceted challenge – one that impacts the companies that develop and manufacture software, exposes users to a host of unacceptable risks, and ultimately threatens intellectual property, in a way that fundamentally undermines the global economy.

The fight against intellectual property theft is a dynamic one driven by the rapid expansion of Internet access around the world. As Internet access continues to grow, both the opportunities and challenges associated with its use – including the rise of Internet-based piracy –also increases in scale and complexity.

For over two decades, the Business Software Alliance (BSA) has led the technology industry in protecting intellectual property rights and combating software piracy across the globe. BSA’s global Internet Enforcement Program works to identify and remove unlicensed software products online. The program’s approach and targets are constantly changing to reflect the continually evolving online environment, adapting, for example, to the increasing role of cloud computing.

BSA’s team of industry experts uses an online auction tracking system and other proprietary technologies to monitor, investigate and seek enforcement against the distribution of pirated software. This illegal software can be found on the Internet via auction sites, peer-to-peer (P2P) sites, BitTorrent index sites, one-click file hosting sites and other Internet channels, including social networking, business-to-consumer (B2C) and business-to business (B2B) sites. In addition, BSA collaborates with law enforcement at all levels, and in numerous markets around the world, to drive convictions of Internet software pirates. The organization also works to educate consumers about the imminent risks associated with online illegal software use through its global B4USurf, Pense Antes de Copiar and Faces of Internet Piracy campaigns.