The individual received a one-year jail sentence to be served under house arrest rather than jail only if he does not possess or use any service or tools to connect to the Internet, does not use a cellphone, pager or organizer and only leaves his home at certain hours. There have been instances where Canadian businesses have settled claims related to unlicensed software on their computers. The amount of pirated software in the world is staggering. About 40 per cent of business software applications in Canada are pirated. The highest rate of 98 per cent is in Vietnam.
Software piracy can take several forms.
Software is illegally rented to customers who copy it on their computers. All businesses should be vigilant in ensuring they do not use unlicensed software. The actual licences should be stored in a common location. Having such systems in place will ensure a business does not inadvertently under-license or pirate software. It will also make an easier task of prove adequate licensing.