Ail on 07 August 2008
In the end you can argue all you want about it, this is what the Law in the United states say :
If you illegally distribute or copy software, for your own personal use or for use by your organization, you are committing software piracy--a federal crime.
Because software is considered a form of literary expression, it is covered under Title 17 (Copyrights) of the United States Code, a compilation of general federal laws currently in force. Title 17 prohibits the reproduction or distribution of copyrighted materials without the authorization of the copyright holder. The licensed user is, however, allowed to make a single backup copy (for disaster recovery or archival purposes).
The penalties for software piracy were significantly increased in 1992, as computer and software use continued to skyrocket. An amendment to Title 18 (Crimes and Criminal Procedure) of the U.S. Code instituted criminal penalties for software piracy that include imprisonment of up to five years and fines up to $250,000.
Civil actions for copyright violations, which include software piracy, are also spelled out in Title 17 of the U.S. Code. Many software companies are now pursuing this avenue by tracking down people who illegally use their products and taking the infringers to court. Civil penalties may include up to $100,000 in statutory damages per infringement.
PS3-Xbox360 gap : 1.5 millions and going up in PS3 favor !
PS3-Wii gap : 20 millions and going down !
