EXPLORATIONS - Computer Software Theft

EXPLORATIONS - Computer Software Theft
By Paul Thompson

Broadcast: Wednesday, September 29, 2004

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VOICE ONE:

This is Faith Lapidus.

VOICE TWO:

 
Software is easy to copy. This is why software theft is so common.
And this is Steve Ember with EXPLORATIONS in VOA Special English. Computer programs are the written materials that permit a computer to do useful work. Today, we tell what is being done about people who illegally copy, sell or steal thousands of millions of dollars of computer programs.

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VOICE ONE:

A court in Richmond, Virginia recently found a man guilty of illegally copying and selling computer software. The software was the product of the Microsoft Corporation¹. He was sentenced to almost six years in prison. He also will have to pay almost two million dollars to Microsoft Corporation for stealing its computer software.

Recently a citizen of China was about to fly home from the United States. As he waited to enter the airplane, agents of the Federal² Bureau³ of Investigation⁴ arrested him for stealing computer software. He has confessed⁵ to the crime in court and told the judge he was guilty of software theft. He could face as many as four years in prison and be forced to pay a fine of two hundred fifty thousand dollars.

These are only two examples of several hundred trials or charges against people who have been caught copying and stealing computer software. Police agencies⁶ around the world are working to stop computer software theft.

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VOICE TWO:

The modern computer has changed the way the world communicates, the way business is done and the way many people work and live. A computer needs written material called software to be able to do anything. Entering the written material into the computer causes the machine to operate. Without software, a computer is nothing more than glass, wire and plastic.

Few people would think of stealing a costly⁷ computer from a store. They know that theft is a crime. However, many people think it is all right to buy a computer program from a person they know is making illegal copies. Or they will take a computer program they bought legally and make an illegal copy of it for a friend.

For some reason, many people do not consider the theft of computer software a crime. They are wrong. The crime of copying, selling or stealing computer software can send a person to jail⁸ or cost them a great deal of money, or both.

People steal every kind of software program -- from games that do not cost much to very costly complex business programs. Almost every company that produces software has been the victim of such theft.

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VOICE ONE:

The Business Software Alliance⁹ is a group that fights the crime of software theft. Each year, it publishes a report for computer companies that are members of the Alliance. The report attempts to show how much money computer companies have lost in the past year because of software theft.

In two thousand-three, the Software Alliance worked with the International Data Corporation to write the report. IDC studied computer software use in eighty-six countries. The report showed that computer users¹⁰ around the world spent more than fifty thousand million dollars on legally bought computer software. Yet computer software worth almost eighty thousand million dollars was placed or installed¹¹ on computers during the same period of time.

The report says the legal sale of computer software should increase from fifty thousand million dollars to seventy thousand million dollars in the next five years. At the same time, the report said that more than forty thousand million dollars worth of computer software will be copied, sold illegally, or stolen.

The report says the industry loss is partly the result of people making illegal copies of computer programs and games. A major loss results from large and small businesses making and selling thousands of illegally copied software programs.

VOICE TWO:

The computer itself aids in the problem of software theft. Almost anyone can make an illegal copy of a computer program in a few seconds. This copying is done in homes, schools, businesses and even governments.

The Business Software Alliance says theft from a software company decreases the amount of money the company has for research and development of new products. That means computer users have fewer programs that are useful for work or play.

VOICE ONE:

Governments around the world have approved new and stronger laws against the theft of computer software. Laws in the United States call for severe punishment for people found guilty of computer software theft. Sentences can include many years in jail and the guilty person can be forced to pay large amounts of money.

One crime is called copyright¹² infringement¹³. A copyright is the legal protection a person receives from the government for a work or product that he or she has created. A copyright makes it illegal for anyone to copy or reproduce¹⁴ the work of another person or company.

Copyright infringement is a federal crime. A person found guilty could be sentenced to as many as five years in federal prison and be made to pay as much as two hundred fifty thousand dollars.

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VOICE TWO:

The Microsoft Corporation is one of the largest and best-known computer companies in the world. Microsoft was one of the first companies to begin developing and selling software products.

Bill Gates is the head of Microsoft Corporation. He started the company in nineteen seventy-five. One year later, Mister¹⁵ Gates learned¹⁶ that people were already making illegal copies of the products of his small company.

Mister Gates published a letter to computer users. In it, he accused many of stealing software. He said he could not understand why all computer users would pay for a computer but steal the software.

VOICE ONE:

Microsoft was one of the companies that helped form the Business Software Alliance in an effort to fight software theft around the world.

Microsoft Corporation says people make illegal copies of software or buy illegal copies in an effort to save money. The company says they are wrong.

Microsoft says an illegal software program does not have the support of the company that makes the real product. Microsoft says many illegal copies are of very poor quality. Some are so poor they can damage the computer that they are used on.

The illegal copies sometimes cannot do all the useful work that the legal product can do. Often illegal copies do not have the written instructions the company includes with its products. This makes it difficult to get the program to work correctly.

Microsoft also says that a software company usually releases¹⁷ major changes to a program from time to time to make it better and more useful. Computer users with illegal copies do not receive such improvements¹⁸.

VOICE TWO:

Microsoft Corporation and the Software Alliance work with law enforcement¹⁹ agencies around the world. They work to find people who steal software products and then the law enforcement agencies bring charges against them. The companies also work with local law enforcement agencies and court systems in an effort to help them learn how to deal with this crime.

The United States government is very active in fighting software theft. "Operation Buccaneer" is an international program that investigates and fights copyright theft. "Operation Buccaneer" continually²⁰ investigates the theft of computer software, movies, games and music.

Its major aim is to find those criminals that use the Internet to send, receive or sell stolen material. One investigation involved criminals in the United States, Russia, Israel, Brazil and several countries in Western Europe. One of the members of this group was arrested in the United States.

He will soon stand trial for violating²¹ federal criminal copyright laws and for having stolen property in his possession. If found guilty, he could face as many as ten years in jail and be made to pay two hundred fifty thousand dollars.

The Business Software Alliance says methods of investigating software thefts are improving. Many countries around the world now recognize the harm done by software theft and are joining the effort to stop it. The Alliance says more and more software thieves are caught and severely²² punished every year.

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VOICE ONE:

This program was written by Paul Thompson. It was produced by Mario Ritter. This is Faith Lapidus.

VOICE TWO:

And this is Steve Ember. Join us again next week for another EXPLORATIONS program in VOA Special English.

1 corporation   

n.公司，企业&n.社团，团体

参考例句：

• The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation. 这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
• The inflation did the corporation up. 通货膨胀使这个公司破产了。

2 federal   

adj.联盟的；联邦的；(美国)联邦政府的

参考例句：

• Switzerland is a federal republic.瑞士是一个联邦共和国。
• The schools are screaming for federal aid.那些学校强烈要求联邦政府的援助。

3 bureau   

n.提供或收集消息的机构；局，司，处；署

参考例句：

• The weather bureau makes daily reports on weather conditions.气象局每天报告天气状况。
• The Tourist Bureau arranged everything for our journey to Rome.旅游局已为我们去罗马旅行准备了一切。

4 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

5 confessed   

adj. 众所周知的，公认的 动词confess的过去式和过去分词形式

参考例句：

• She confessed to the murder. 她供认犯了谋杀罪。
• He confessed to a priest that he had sinned. 他向神父忏悔他犯了罪。

6 agencies   

n.代理( agency的名词复数 )；服务机构；（政府的）专门机构；代理（或经销）业务（或关系）

参考例句：

• There are many specialized agencies in the United Nations. 联合国有许多专门机构。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The project is funded by the World Bank and other multilateral agencies. 这项计划由世界银行和其他多国机构资助。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。

8 jail   

n.监狱，看守所；vt.监禁，拘留

参考例句：

• The castle had been used as a jail.这城堡曾用作监狱。
• If she carries on shoplifting,she'll end up in jail.她如果还在店铺里偷东西，最终会被抓进监狱的。

9 alliance   

n.同盟，同盟国，结盟，联姻

参考例句：

• China will not enter into alliance with any big power.中国不同任何大国结盟。
• The new alliance was very much in evidence.新的联盟上星期很引人注目。

10 users   

用户，使用者( user的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The new software will prove a boon to Internet users. 这种新软件将会对互联网用户大有益处。
• Ramps should be provided for wheelchair users. 应该给轮椅使用者提供坡道。

11 installed   

安装( install的过去式和过去分词 )； 安顿； 安置； 使…正式就职

参考例句：

• He's getting a phone installed tomorrow. 他明天要装电话。
• A professionally installed alarm will cost from about ￡500. 请专业人员安装的警报器要花费至少500 英镑。

12 copyright   

n.版权，著作权

参考例句：

• He retained the copyright of his book.他保留此书的著作权。
• This company has a proprietorship of the copyright.这家公司拥有版权所有权。

13 infringement   

n.违反；侵权

参考例句：

• Infringement of this regulation would automatically rule you out of the championship.违背这一规则会被自动取消参加锦标赛的资格。
• The committee ruled that the US ban constituted an infringement of free trade.委员会裁定美国的禁令对自由贸易构成了侵犯

14 reproduce   

v.生育，繁殖，复制，重做

参考例句：

• The machine can reproduce a key in two minutes.这机器能在两分钟内复制一把钥匙。
• The picture will reproduce well.这照片会印得很清楚。

15 mister   

n.(略作Mr.全称很少用于书面)先生

参考例句：

• Mister Smith is my good friend.史密斯先生是我的好朋友。
• He styled himself " Mister Clean ".他自称是“清廉先生”。

16 learned   

adj.有学问的，博学的；learn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He went into a rage when he learned about it.他听到这事后勃然大怒。
• In this little village,he passed for a learned man.在这个小村子里，他被视为有学问的人。

17 releases   

v.释放( release的第三人称单数 )；放开；发布；发行

参考例句：

• Nuclear fission releases tremendous amounts of energy. 核裂变释放出巨大的能量。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Zemel says that when calcium levels are low, the body releases a hormone that helps squeeze the most out of every available milligram of the mineral. 泽莫尔博士说，当人体中的钙含量偏低时，身体里就会产生一种荷尔蒙，它能帮助肌体最大限度地吸收所摄入的钙。 来自《简明英汉词典》

18 improvements   

增加或修改( improvement的名词复数 )； 改进； 改善； 改良

参考例句：

• improvements in efficiency at the factory 工厂效率的提高
• They've spent a lot of money on home improvements. 他们花了很多钱装修家居。

19 enforcement   

n.实施, 执行

参考例句：

• MPs called for tougher enforcement of the existing laws on drugs. 下院议员呼籲加强现行毒品法律的执行力度。
• The court is ineffective because it lacks the necessary enforcement machinery. 法院效率低是因为缺乏必要的执行机制。

20 continually   

adv.不间断地，不停地；多次重复地

参考例句：

• The other kids continually taunted him about his size.其他孩子不断地耻笑他的个头儿。
• The US is continually building up its armed forces.美军正持续加强它的三军。

21 violating   

亵渎( violate的现在分词 )； 违反； 侵犯； 强奸

参考例句：

• Ignorance of a law does not excuse a man for violating it. 一个人不懂法律不构成犯法的理由。
• It was sued by the U.S. federal government for violating antitrust law. 它被美国联邦政府指控违反了反托拉斯法。

22 severely   

adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地

参考例句：

• He was severely criticized and removed from his post.他受到了严厉的批评并且被撤了职。
• He is severely put down for his careless work.他因工作上的粗心大意而受到了严厉的批评。