Software Piracy

Software piracy is the process of making and using unauthorized copies of copyrighted software. This practice is a serious issue, especially when discussing Federal ISs. Under Title 17 of the US Code, it is strictly forbidden to make or distribute copies of distributed software. This is a federal offense and violations are monitored by the Software Publishers Association (SPA). 17 USC 506(a) states that "any person who infringes a copyright willfully and for purposes of commercial advantage or private financial gain shall be punished as provided in Section 2319 of Title 18."

According to the SPA:

"All software is copyrightable. Copyright protection is available regardless of the format in which software exists, the media on which it resides, or the functions it performs. This same US law applies to software in source code form and object code form. Operating systems that control the internal operation of a computer are copyrightable, as is application software such as accounting software and video games. Likewise, whether a given software product involved communication to humans or simply interacts with a machine has no impact on copyrightability."

Determining a Violation

NRL will neither commit nor tolerate the making or use of unauthorized software copies under any circumstances, and will enforce strong controls to prevent its occurrence. As the custodian of your machine, it is your responsibility to ensure that there is a legally licensed copy of any commercial software residing on your system. The only exception would be the situation where a user is allowed to make a backup copy of the software for personal use only in the event that the original software is damaged as the result of a virus or like circumstance.