3.+Copyright+and+Software

**Why do software authors need to be protected by copyright?**
Software authors need to be protected by copyright because, unfortunately, many people make and use unauthorized copies of software, to help get their work done more quickly and efficiently. Software can be very expensive, and so many people illegally use software or create copies of software. The only time a software program is not subject to copyright restrictions is if the software is on a public domain.

**How does software piracy become a cost to the Australian computer industry each year?**
The issue of software piracy impacts the whole global economy, and more specifically, the Australian economy. In 2007, economists showed that software piracy cost the industry $39.6 billion.

**What is the result of software piracy?**
Customers who use pirated software are at risk of receiving significant legal consequences and fines. As well as this, pirated software may contain Trojans, viruses, and other forms of malware, because the creators of the software often change the downloadable files and put in malicious code. Users of pirated software will not have access to product support or bug fixes if they receive one of the viruses because software developers do not support software piracy. Many businesses also use their reputation as a result of using pirated software.