FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - Dec. 13, 2002 Contact: James Kim, SIIA PR (202) 289-7442 ext.1362
Holiday Tips for Software Users
Washington, DC - Dec. 13, 2002 - Don't be duped by software pirates this holiday season! The Software & Information Industry (SIIA) is warning that people may unwittingly purchase or receive pirated software as gifts. While the price may be right, the practice is illegal and costly to all software users. Studies have found that the software industry loses roughly $12 billion every year due to illegally copied software. Software pirates have exploited just about every type of software - from video games to home software to business applications. "Illegally copying and using software is a problem that takes many forms," says Keith Kupferschmid, head of SPA Anti-piracy, a division of the SIIA. "Unfortunately, during the holiday season, people could easily end up in a situation where they buy illegal software or receive software from someone else as a gift without knowing that the software was illegally copied." The results could be severe. Pirated software may contain bugs and other flaws that could harm other content on a computer. Such software usually also lacks technical documentation that is often vital. Using pirated software also increases the risk of exposure to computer viruses. In the long run, the use of pirated software hurts everyone, as software companies may have to hike prices to make up for losses. Here are some warning signs that you might be buying or receiving pirated products: • • • • • • • • • • • The software lacks proper documentation. The manual is photocopied or missing. The software does not look authentic. For example, the software, product packaging or accompanying materials are of inferior quality or include hand written labels. The Serial #/CD Key is printed on the CD, sleeve, or jewel case. One CD contains multiple applications (especially if they are from different companies) The software is labeled "Not for Resale." The software is labeled "OEM Software" and not properly included with hardware. The software is being sold as a "back up" copy. The price of the software is far below retail price. The seller or the gift giver tells you not to register the software. The seller or gift giver states that the software is an Academic Version and he/she is not an authorized retailer.
SIIA has several programs dedicated to combating and reducing software piracy, including its Certified Software Manager (CSM) seminars which address the specific needs of software managers, technical support specialists, purchasing agents and value added resellers who must ensure their organizations are software compliant. It also makes a variety of helpful information available at www.spa.org/piracy. Cases of corporate, retail and Internet piracy or noncompliance with software licenses can be reported on the Internet at http://www.siia.net/piracy/report/default.asp or by calling the Anti-Piracy Hotline: (800) 388-7478. About SIIA The Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) is the principal trade association for the software and digital content industry. SIIA provides global services in government relations, business development, corporate education and intellectual property protection to more than 800 leading software and information companies. For further information, http://www.siia.net. ####