Is software piracy prevalent? According to an IDC study commissioned by the Business Software Alliance the answer is a definitive...YES. The report estimates that 35% of programs used worldwide in 2004 were pirated and says that cutting that rate by 10 percent over four years would result in 2.4 million new jobs and about $400 billion in economic growth. Analysis shows that lower piracy rates stimulate software product and purchases.

Get your eye patches ready. If you are wondering what constitutes software piracy you probably already know. When someone copies software without buying the appropriate number of licenses, it is considered copyright infringement. This means that if your business is underreporting the number of computers using a specific software program or even if you are sharing software programs with a friend you are in danger of walking the plank.

Check out the Software & Information Industry Association's "Ten Commandments of Software Use" (PDF - opens in new window) or risk losing your treasure.