You come across some software that you need for work, or even just for personal personal use.
You should always pay for software.
You then see that it’s £200, and think to yourself, should I pay? Or just find it for free elsewhere? You should definitely pay. And here’s why.
Its illegal
Piracy of software, or just anyone else’s data, is illegal and can result in charges from fines to real jail time (depending on the charge). The fine you could get from stealing software could be much more than the retail price of what you’re avoiding buying… so you’ve got to think – is it really worth it?
You could break your computer
You could literally break what you’re using to run the software… think about that! Viruses and computer worms are often hidden in dodgy stolen software, varying in severity. From annoying pop ups, to ransomware, which can make you lose all files on your computer. If this is a work computer or one with sensitive data, you don’t want to be downloading this stuff because you could end up in a big mess. Repair and restoration of the device isn’t ever easy, and can cost a lot of money. Sometimes, you’ll have to replace the computer all together.
You won’t get support
If the software breaks or you need some help with it, you won’t get support from the company. You also won’t get regular updates that give you access to new software, and bug fixes. You’ll recoup the money you paid through updates and support if not anything else.
Someone has to pay…
At the end of the day, the company couldn’t survive if everyone pirated their stuff; they’d have no money to pay staff and pay for resources. If you’re still thinking about pirating some software or data, just think about the damage you could do to your machine if not anything else… and pay the company! They’ve earned it!
