Software Piracy & How It’s Impacting Your Software Development Business

According to a recent study, the U.S accounted for $9.7 billion of the $62.7 billion of reported loss attributed to unlicensed software. Software piracy is perhaps one of the biggest and most costly problems for independent software vendors. Let’s take a deeper look into the industry, and how you as an ISV can plan, manage and implement a “software copy protection” culture within your firm.  

Breaking down Software Piracy

Understanding the various forms of software piracy can help you gain a better insight into what kinds of threats lurk over the internet and amongst various organizations:

·        End User Piracy

Individuals and enterprise customers may be breaching the piracy law by the installing a software for which they do not own the license. Furthermore, the use of the software on more devices than what has been prescribed is another example of end user piracy.

·        Internet Piracy

In some instances, piracy websites offer a free download of software, or post cracked passcodes. The era of peer-to-peer networking has given rise to a cult where organizations can transfer files and software using these networks, where no central management system exists. This makes it difficult to track down, and stop these perpetrators from illegally distributing your software online.

·        Software Counterfeiting

This is the act of illegal duplicating licensed software for the purpose of imitation and resale at a lower price than the original seller. Counterfeit versions are available online, on disks, hard drives, etc.

How Is This Impacting Software Development Businesses

The global rate of unlicensed software has been increasing annually. Among the top 20 software license piracy hotspots, the U.S. made the top three! Understanding this significance the U.S. government protects computer software under its U.S copyright laws, U.S. code Title 17 and 18. In spite of the growing government regulations, there still remains an imminent, looming threat.

As these rates increase, your revenues and profits take a hit! Here are some ways that software piracy is hurting your business:

·         According to the Business Software Alliance (BSA), 35 percent of the packaged software installed on devices globally in 2005 was illegal;

·         This amounted to $34 billion in global losses

·         As your revenues thin out, the prospects for your growth become slimmer

So, how can you turn your unlicensed software user into a paying customer?

Getting Powerful, Reliable Software Licensing Solutions

By using these solutions, you ensure that your software licenses are protected at all times, and that your enterprise customers can gain the benefits of a licensed, compatible and fully featured software solution for their use. RLM gives ISVs the license protection they need to ensure that their software is used within the terms and conditions that has been specified!

Hundreds of software publishers and tens of thousands of end-user organizations depend on our software, RLM, to manage billions of dollars worth of software licenses every day. RLM allows you to capture new customers and increase your revenues with existing customers.

To learn more about Reprise License Manager (RLM), feel free to browse through our website or contact us at, 1 (781) 837-0884.