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Software Piracy refers to the practice of copying a program without the written or official confirmation or permission from the software developer, author and creator. This piracy is the same as someone copying your Ebook or music album without your written consent. While advances in technology made accessing easier, it also brought problems in piracy. If you’re in the business of app, software and web development, you can use one or a combo of these strategies to prevent someone from making unlawful copies.

Legal Protection

Most companies make a clause or statement or legal assistance from a law firm or lawyer. This legal statement let consumers and users that making unauthorised or illegal copies will result in breaking anti-piracy laws. Such legal clauses help people avoid unknowingly breaking laws.

Cloud computing

This technology makes software available online only or by the use of the internet and browser. There’s no need to install software locally on your computer. Common examples of cloud-based software are Google Docs, Microsoft OneNote, Adobe Software suite and Canva. Without the need for locally installed software, the pirates won’t be able to make illegal copies. Although, cloud computing isn’t perfect since it isn’t immune to piracy, the technology made it harder for piracy to thrive.

DMCA reporting

Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DCMA) is a US copyright law that makes methods for circumventing copyright protections illegal.  In your website or software, you can make a reporting system that makes it easier for users and visitors to report illegal copies of your software. Many countries also have anti-piracy laws of different names and versions.

Make it affordable

Making software isn’t easy and consumes money and time. You can reduce piracy and wannabe pirates by offering affordable price and payment plans that is a win-win for all. Of course, affordability doesn’t mean making your product too cheap as to prevent you from making profits.

Making it affordable also means:

• Cheaper prices

• Longer trial periods

• Cloud storage

Product Key

Product keys constitute a combination of numbers and letters that make each software copy unique. This makes sure that only one person can use one software copy. There should be any workaround that makes the product unusable when cracked.

Watermarks

Watermarks pertain to logos and names placed behind or within the output of each software. This communicates one or more of these: legitimately obtained and under a trial period.

Tags: computers, piracy, software