According to a 2000 study, the U.S. software industry lost more than $2.6 billion to software piracy in 2000. This loss has a significant impact on the U.S. economy. Furthermore, it has been estimated that software piracy cost the U.S. economy over 109,000 jobs, $5.6 billion in lost wages and more than $1.5 billion in tax revenue in the year 2000. Software piracy is not an issue to be taken lightly. The US government has noticed how big software piracy has gotten and has started to crack down on it. Software piracy needs to be stopped. If it is not, all computer users that legitimately purchase software will suffer.
             Software piracy is defined as the unauthorized duplication, distribution or use of computer software. This can range from making more copies of software than the license allows or installing software licensed for one computer onto multiple computers or a server. With new technologies today the ability to pirate software has become much easier. Many believe this not to be a problem; however, thousands of people's lives are being affected by this everyday. Companies are losing millions of dollars and having to lay off employees. Copying cheats the publisher and everyone who uses the software. It makes software more costly and denies the publisher the sales it needs to improve software and finance new projects.
             Up until two to three years ago, software piracy was not a very big issue. Not to say that it was not happening, but it was not as wide spread as today. Since the beginning of the computer, people have been copying software and giving it to friends and family. Small, home based piracy has changed; it has developed into a high tech, low cost production. People used to have to buy the software in order to copy it; however, with a modem and a little bit of computer knowledge, any one can pirate software for free.
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