Illegal software in the company is unfortunately not uncommon. This is most likely the result of the owners' desire to save and reduce costs. However, having and using illegal software in your company has many more disadvantages than benefits. Why you shouldn't use illegal software? What are the penalties for using illegal software in a company?
What is illegal software in your company?
Most companies use at least several programs in their company that require the entrepreneur to purchase a license or pay monthly fees for use. That's why some business owners are looking for savings and use illegal software in their company. What is illegal software? This is software that we buy from sources other than the manufacturer or authorized distributors, its price is low and it does not have an appropriate license. We can only be sure about the legality of the software if we purchase it from the manufacturer or its large and verified distributor, about which the manufacturer itself most often informs us. All available offers on Allegro, Olx and other sales websites probably concern illegal software. In what form can we purchase legal software?
- BOX – we receive a medium with software and a box;
- OEM – the software is delivered with the purchased desktop or laptop computer;
- ESD – this is software in electronic form, we receive the activation key after purchase via e-mail, and we download the program from the manufacturer's website.
Some of the most frequently illegally used programs are Microsoft products: Windows operating systems and the Office office suite. Microsoft very often falls victim to various types of pirates, and people looking for cheap software get tricked and endanger their equipment and data, and are also exposed to the possibility of receiving a high financial penalty or even imprisonment.
Is it worth using illegal software in your company?
Having illegal software in your company is breaking the law and has serious consequences. This is the most important argument against having programs from unverified sources. It is also very important that illegal software, subjected to the so-called cracking, i.e. removing the manufacturer's security measures, may be equipped with "add-ons" that we would never install consciously. These may be spyware, data encrypters or other programs. Only legal software allows us to be sure that it is free from such malicious elements. That's why legal software in your company is:
- Sense of security,
- Equipment protection,
- Manufacturer's help in case of problems,
- Often the possibility of using discounts in subsequent years, also for other programs,
- Confidence that the software has all functions that work without problems,
- Upgradable.
Software control in the company
Software inspection in the company may take place after notifying one of the employees or special units responsible for detecting illegal systems and programs. Who can check the legality of software in the company?
- Police,
- prosecutors Office,
- tax office inspector,
- authorized by: court experts and IT specialists
The course of software legality control in the company
The company owner is obliged to provide authorized bodies with all computers, invoices and bills for the purchase of devices and software licenses, as well as license books and data carriers.
Penalty for illegal software in the company
If, after checking the legality of the company's software, the authorities reveal irregularities, the owner may face a number of consequences:
- legal,
- financial,
- organizational,
- image.
Possession of illegal software in a company may result in criminal liability under the Penal Code and the Copyright and Related Rights Act (fine, restriction of liberty, imprisonment from 3 months to 5 years) and civil (property) liability. A software manufacturer may demand compensation for lost profits caused by the company's use of illegal software. However, the Police has the right to seize equipment - computers and disks - during the proceedings, and the company cannot use them.
As you can see, using pirated software may seem attractive only if we are not aware of the enormity of the problems and the scope of liability that the company may face if an audit reveals illegal software. We strongly recommend that you be careful when choosing an offer and make sure that the program to be purchased will be used legally, in accordance with the licensing terms set by the manufacturer.
