This also applies to the unauthorized copying of Novell training books or manuals. When software is pirated, consumers, software developers and honest resellers are harmed. When consumers use pirated software, they run the risk of downloading viruses onto their computers or having corrupted disks and defective software. The consumer usually has inadequate documentation to enjoy the full benefits of the software package and is unable to take advantage of technical support and product upgrades which are available to legitimate registered users of the software. When their software is pirated, developers lose revenue not only from current products but from future ones as well.
Software developers spend a lot of time and effort developing software for public use.
As software is distributed, a portion of the revenue is funneled back into developing better software packages. When software is pirated, software developers lose revenue from the sale of their products which hinders development of new software and stifles the growth of the software company. Piracy Most cases of piracy are reported by entities trying to compete fairly by offering legitimate products and services or by end-users who are cheated by unscrupulous resellers. End-users realize that they should have documentation for their software, or they realize other users in the area have the same serial numbers on their software. Once victims realize they have been cheated, Novell is contacted to investigate the incident.