People need to consider the effects this software piracy will have on the industry. Currently, there is a global piracy rate of 38 percent and a 25 percent rate in the United States. On top of the loss of revenue, many jobs are lost as well—109,000 U.S. jobs in 1998, a figure expected to increase by an additional 175,700 by 2008, according to the Alliance.

With the outbreak of person-to-person file sharing browsers, such as Napster and Gnutella, the illegal duplication of software is growing like a wild fire. People are just starting to realize just how easy it is to share files over the Internet. "The Internet is truly amazing; you can find almost anything you look for," said Casper (last name withheld), a member of the Elite Warez Hacking Group. "All you need is access to the Internet, a storage device, and a lot of time."

When asked about the legality and consequences of piracy, Casper said, "It comes down to people’s morals, and our society does not have much morality left today." More and more people are meeting in chat rooms and trading files with out thinking that they may be hurting someone else. Most might not realize that they actually are doing something illegal.

Or they might not care, according to Casper. "Big software companies are rich enough already," he said. And then he added, "Things have to change in the software industry. It is just too easy to crack software as it is programmed today."

OK, so the software is out there for the taking and it is free. But at the cost of weakening the industry and the economy, and taking away other people’s jobs, taking it does not seem like the right thing to do.

People need to understand that piracy is illegal and that it comes with consequences. Currently these consequences add up to $4.5 million in fines and legal fees each year for the United States alone. Individuals could pay $500 dollars for each unauthorized software copy software they possess or distribute, and up to $50,000 dollars if more than one article is copied, according to the Software Publishers Association.

People need to understand that the quick fix of free software ultimately comes at a cost to others—including higher prices to everyone who buys legitimate copies. Manufactures have to adapt to this growing problem by coming up with better encryption and protection codes.

Unfortunately, if they don’t, people such as Casper who have the knowledge and ability to pursue this type of illegal activity will continue.