Software piracy has robbed the computer industry of billions of dollars according to PC World. Piracy, one of the most common forms of computer crime, is the reproduction of "protected" programs (e.g. copyrighted programs). A nonviolent crime, software piracy is unique in that the "stolen" object is left behind; the thief only walks off with a copy of the program. Futhermore, piracy is generally committed in the privacy of one's home, away from the firm being robbed.
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