Personal Measures

• 1). Read the End User License Agreement (EULA) for each software product you purchase. The EULA's terms and conditions define how you can legally use the software, how many computers you can install the software on, and whether pr not you can make a backup copy. Most software companies do not allow you to install their software without first accepting their agreement.
  
  
• 2). Purchase CD software only from reputable resellers. Check the manufacturer's website to see what kind of authentication markings they include to guarantee that the software is genuine. Microsoft affixes a "Certificate of Authority" label to the outside packaging of their products, and Adobe includes silk-screened artwork along with trademarks, patent information and part numbers on their CDs. Verify your software purchase before making a purchase, and if you have questions, contact the anti-piracy department of the software manufacturer, or the customer service department.
  
  
• 3). Purchase software downloads directly from the manufacturer's website. Never download software from a peer-to-peer file-sharing site such as Limewire, Kazaa or BearShare, and do not make your software available on these sites.
  
  
• 4). Register your software to prevent others from attempting to install your software on their computers. Software companies call this "softlifting" and it is a major source of software piracy.
  
  
• 5). Report piracy if you discover that software you purchased is not authentic or if you suspect that an online reseller or retail establishment is selling counterfeit software. This is the biggest single action anyone can take to stop software piracy.
  
  

Company Measures

• 1). Create and distribute a software policy statement to all employees. Include clearly written rules defining how employees may and may not use company software. Include an anti-piracy statement that each employee must sign and return.
  
  
• 2). Learn about the software licenses your company owns, know whether the license allows an employee to install company software on a home computer to work from home, and keep a record of each license cataloged by product name, version number, serial number and a reference to the computers running the software.
  
  
• 3). Conduct software audits. Require employees to record the product name, version number and serial number for each software product installed on their computers.