No time for crime

Software piracy is often tempting in a recession, but it is never worth the potential damage to your reputation.

In a recession there is always a tendency for some suppliers to cut corners. Unfortunately, at such times we usually see a corresponding increase in criminal activity.

Although increased security measures in the channel over the past few years have, to a certain extent, prevented a lot of the warehouse ram-raids and office robberies that were more common in the early 1990s when components were expensive and scarce, they still go on.

Such raids usually attract a lot of attention from the media. This is perhaps because images of forklifts crashing into the sides of warehouses and articulated lorry heists summon up Ocean's Eleven-style images of George Clooney breaking into the vault of the Bellagio hotel in Las Vegas.

But there is more serious and definitely more widespread criminal activity happening on a daily basis. This activity is, of course, software piracy.

Despite crackdowns and massive educational campaigns from companies such as Microsoft and Macromedia, the activity is difficult to stop and the high quality of counterfeits make them hard to spot.

Recent figures from the Business Software Alliance (BSA) show that, for the first time since it began its research in 1994, UK software piracy rates have risen. The BSA estimates that 26 per cent of business software used in the UK is illegal.

It explained that complacency is still rife in the UK because many users do not consider that what they are doing is wrong.

In addition, the report claims that non-compliant software that does not carry the correct licence is also a problem.

But if firms are found to be either supplying the software or using it illegally, many vendors will punish offenders in the courts.

Although the temptation to save a few pounds or undercut your rival's offer is strong in an economic downturn, is it really worth risking your reputation or your career?