SOFTWARE PIRACYRead and memorize the following words: consequences — последствия largely — в значительной степени significantly — существенно properly — надлежащим образом financial penalties — финансовые санкции negative publicity — отрицательная гласность likelihood — вероятность substantial reward — значительное вознаграждение prosecution — уголовное преследование imprisonment — тюремное заключение damage to data — повреждение данных remain undiscovered — оставаться необнаруженными processing documents — обработка документов labor disputes — трудовые споры public confidence — общественное доверие overall profitability — все доходы successful prosecution — успешное судебное преследование substantial reward — существенное вознаграждение For individuals, the legal consequences of software piracy are largely the same as for other crimes and include fines, imprisonment, and the confiscation of equipment. Those who work in the computer industry also face the possibility of their reputations being damaged. The use of pirated software significantly increases the risk of virus infection. This is because many “cracked” programs and cracks are distributed by virus writers in an attempt to infect as many computers as possible in a short time. The use of programs that have been altered by cracking groups also raises the possibility of damage to data. Whenever a program is modified, there is a risk that it will stop working properly. However, some problems are not immediately noticeable and may remain undiscovered for weeks, months, or even years. If this happens, errors may accumulate throughout all of the data files used by the program. For individual users, this may mean the loss of personal files, such as word-processing documents. For businesses, however, it may mean the loss of accounts data, customer records, and other information critical to the company’s operations. Business users also face a number of other difficulties related to the use of pirated software. Some of these include: · Financial penalties, such as fines. The company might also be exposed to both criminal and civil action. · Legal action taken by employees. If employees are encouraged to use pirated software, they might face action from unions, colleagues, and other parties. In such an event, an employee may take legal action against the company for exposing him to such risks. · Negative publicity resulting from action taken by software companies or the Business Software Alliance. Such publicity would be likely to damage relationships with customers and suppliers. The impact on public confidence might also harm sales and overall profitability. Disruption to everyday activities caused by the company being deprived of its application software. In some cases, even a temporary disruption might harm overall profitability. For instance, relationships with clients might be harmed if the company fails to maintain high standards of customer service. · Reduced morale across the company, causing productivity losses and other problems, such as labor disputes. It is worth noting that the risk of facing action from the BSA or other agencies increases with the size of the organization. The bigger the organization, the higher the likelihood of finding illegal software on the company’s systems. In addition, there is an increased risk that an employee may report the company to an antipiracy organization, especially since many of these organizations offer a substantial reward for information leading to a successful prosecution. Questions: What are the legal consequences of software piracy for individuals? What risks do you have using pirated software? Are all the problems immediately noticeable? Why not? Why do the cracked program work incorrectly? What are the difficulties related with the use of pirated software? May an employee report the company to an antipiracy organization?
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