Software piracy is illegal.
Each pirated piece of software takes away from company profits, reducing funds for further software development initiatives. In the late 1960s, manufacturers began selling their software separately from the required hardware. A number of annotated web sites at the end of this document contain information regarding estimates of software piracy throughout the world. As stated earlier, software piracy is illegal. Ironically, many who pirate software are fully aware of the legalities, though they are able to rationalize continuing the practice.