What are the risks of using copied software?
According to the law on copyright the installation of copied software is punishable even when it is non-profit but done with the sole purpose of a simple saving of expenses, not having to purchase the original programme. Whoever does this is punishable with penal sanctions including imprisonment between 6 months to three years, and a fine from 2 582.00 to 15 493.00 euro. Besides the penal side, this has also particularly unpleasant effects on the civil and administrative sides. To be considered also that the party having been damaged in his own rights, can ask the judge to issue an urgent measure to stop the counterfeiting. As it can be seen, on one hand the sanction is quite heavy whilst, on the other hand, more monitoring has been done. The same Microsoft, some time ago, did an investigation on Livorno and Prato by sending some false buyers at computer shops to see if programmes without licences were given. The result was that, in Livorno, about 30% of the traders follow an improper behaviour. This verification put the legal forces on the alert, so they did more controls aimed to check the legality of the licences mainly of the small to medium firms, which are the ones mainly using illegal software.