Software Theft - Paper #3

     Software theft is the copying or distribution of copyright protected software without authorization. Most people do this because the profits can be substantial without labor costs. But there are some who do this for the purpose of lowering a publishers profits or ruining the publishers reputation. These types of people justify their actions by claiming the publishers are over-pricing the products and believe they are doing a public service by offering the product for a cheaper price or even for free. Some software that has been stolen could have viruses build in or may be incomplete compared to the publishers version, meaning the only one who profits off of software theft is the thief and thief alone (FAST, 2013).
      Software theft can occur though many methods. Scenario one involves the unauthorized use of the same software on multiple PCs, leading to heavy fines and eventual purchase of the product anyways(SSIA). Scenario two is the spread of software by one criminal either though physical copies or though the internet(Nagpal).
     Scenario one revolves around purchasing one licensed software for multiple PCs. "John" wanted to cut expenses, so he used the same software for 45 PCs. Eventually, one user of the illegal software had to call technical support, which lead to the SSIA realizing that the company didn't have licensing for the software, leading to an overall expense of $500,000 that could have been avoided.
     Scenario two is when someone purchases a copy of the legal software and then duplicates it using CD ROMs and then sells it using dealers, or sells the software though electronic downloads. Either method is used for monetary gain, and usually leads to incomplete or compromised software.
     Software theft has heavy legal ramifications. Copyright infringement can be punishable up to five years in prison and $250,000 in fines. Repeat offenders can be imprisoned up to 10 years and violators can be fined up to $150,000 per work(US Copyright Law). As well as the legal consequences, users of stolen software may experience exposure to viruses, lack of technical support, and no accessibility to upgrades that would be available though purchase of the product.
     Software theft is a criminal activity that leads to nothing except profit to the thief or harm to the publishers reputation. The harsh legal consequences for participating in software theft is justified and the actions of these criminals are deplorable.
   








Sources:
fastiss, 2013, FAST, 11 Nov. 2013
Software & Information Industry Association, 2013, SSIA, 11 Nov. 2013
Chmag, Nagpal, Club Hack, 11 Nov 2013
http://www.symantec.com/about/profile/antipiracy/consequences.jsp

NXT Sensors

Tonight we attached sensors to our NXT robots. First was the speaker. This program applauds when opened. Second was the light sensor. The sensor stops the NXT robot from moving when it detects a dark spot. Third was the touch sensor. The program drives the NXT robot forward until the touch sensor hits an object, causing the device to brake. Lastly, there was the ultrasonic sensor. The program has the device drive, sending out ultrasonic waves. Once the robot gets too close to an object, the ultrasonic sensor tells it to brake.

Linus Torvolds was the co-developer of Linux. He did something that challenged the developers of other operating systems: he made Linux a free download.






Steve Woziak is the co-founder of Apple computers. He was the main designer of Apple I and Apple II.