Question

What penalties should be imposed for using unlicensed software? Should software vendors be allowed to probe your computer secretly for illegally installed software? Why?

Answer 1

Unlicensed software use is illegal and can result in both civil as well as criminal penalties. It exposes businesses and consumers to security threats including malware, spyware, and viruses, and leads to decreased efficiencies in organizations. Under the United states Copyright Act there are strict penalties for someone guilty of illegal reproduction of subject to civil damages of up $100,000 per title infringed and criminal penalties, including fines of as much as $ 250,000 per title infringed and imprisonment of up to five years. However, this cannot stop them from this threat of using unlincensed software. This can be reduced to great extent by giving awareness to the general public of its consequencies and its drawbacks and made affordable of lincensed software for the general public and introducing cash rewards policy for reporting any use of unlicensed software in any organistion.Regarding penalties there is already strict laws and provisions in all countries only thing is implementation of its law accordingly and adhering strictly to an extent of non-bailable for this offences.

Again, whether the software vendors be allowed to probe your computer for secrectly for illegaly installed software, its should left to upon individual choices and his personal requirement basis. However, in my opinion if it is made mandatory and made special laws and provisions for compulsory probing and checking for vendors in the country law, it would help in great extent to curb this menance as all seller and purchaser will take this as their prime responsibility and will be interconnected and held responsible for any wrong doing.