Problem Solving: Software Piracy - Essay Example

In order for organizations to mitigate the problem, new software protection policies should be put in place to ensure that software is only usable by the license holder (BSA, 2015). Additionally, organizations can resolve to have a single mode of software installation authentication method. In this case, instead of selling licenses to customers and software users, the organizations can require that all software activation requirements be conducted online to ensure that every copy is only activated using one unique product key (Microsoft, 2015). For organizations that require software installation on a vast number of machines, the installation files can be configured to contain an equivalent number of activation codes to the number of machines. For every used code, the installation media would connect to the internet verifying that the software is genuine and one among the provided codes has been used to activate one workstation.

When addressing the issue of software piracy, there are various levels of consideration that organizations take into account. For instance, the cost of data loss and the inability to generate sustainable profits are two major threats caused by piracy. With reference to the two examples, it is evident that based on value and use, different organizations address the challenge of software piracy differently. With respect to the magnitude of anticipated losses and the corresponding cost of software development, some companies invest more funds in developing anti-piracy strategies while others concentrate on economies of scale by developing free or cheap software (Microsoft, 2015). Read More