Page 54 - Viva ICSE Computer Studies 7 : E-book

Software Piracy

Software piracy refers to illegal copying of software
for the purpose of distribution or sale. It is the most

common and widely spread form of computer crime.
This is because most users prefer to use pirated copies
rather than spending money on buying software.
Software piracy is the most serious problem faced by
today’s software industry.

Guidelines to Prevent Software Piracy

• Do not create copies of software for the purpose of distribution.

• Always buy a licensed CD from a renowned seller and avoid using pirated CDs.

• Always use a licensed software instead of a pirated software.
• Download the freely available software online from their offi cial websites.

Intellectual Property Rights

Intellectual Property Rights refer to the rights of
a person or a company exclusively to use its own
plans or ideas without the worry of competition, at
least for a specifi c period of time. These rights can
include copyrights, patents and trademarks. These
rights may be enforced by a court via a lawsuit. The
reason for intellectual property is to encourage
innovation without the fear that a competitor will
steal the idea and/or take the credit for it. Such
rights protect the information from getting copied
or pirated.

Safety Measures to Protect Intellectual Property Rights

Let’s learn about various measures taken to protect Intellectual Property Rights.
• Patents: Patents are the rights granted to inventors that allow them to exclude all others
from making, using or selling their invention for a fi xed amount of time. The time period
for patent in India is 20 years.

• Copyright: The copyright law protects the rights
of creative people such as artists, musicians, Think and Discuss
programmers, writers and authors to stop
How will you identify if an image
unauthorised or illegal reproduction of their work
downloaded from the Internet is
by others. The copyright of a work lasts for more
copyrighted or not?
than 70 years.

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