ABA Family Legal Guide

Computer Law

Computer Copyright and Trademark Issues

Copying Software and Downloading Entertainment

What can I tell my kids about the (im)morality and (il)legality of copying software?

Illegally copying software is no more legitimate than copying videotapes, books, or musical recordings. For that matter, it is no more legitimate than stealing an apple--a costly apple--from the front of the grocer's store simply because you can, or cashing someone else's paycheck. Software piracy deprives the producer of the fruit of the producer's labor, something that any working person or anyone who owns property should understand. You should be no more ready to steal software than to steal anything else.