Date:11/07/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/07/11/stories/2008071158520200.htm

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Pirated software has many takers

Abhijit Dev Kumar

The copies come cheap and are easily available

Hyderabad: Genuine software has become more of an essential need. Users cannot do without original versions of operating systems such as Windows XP, Vista and Linux which are most sought after and are expensive.

However, for people in the city, copied versions of the same software are preferred as they come dead cheap and are easily available.

With software companies vouching for usage of genuine software, it is the price difference between pirated ones and original programs that has attracted users to purchase a pirated copy. Shelling out money for high end picture editing software such as the latest Adobe Photoshop CS3 is passé.

The software is available for a mere Rs. 150 while the original DVD’s cost around Rs. 35,000.

“The reason of their popularity is that over the time, ‘cracks’ have been developed by programmers for turning duplicate software into an original one,” says an engineering student.

Traders at local computer markets supplement the fact that most of the time; pirated software has caused problems for users owing to stringent action being taken by software companies.