Title Fight: Ref.Sec. C

Reference Section C

On Precise Use Of Terms

The terms "piracy", "counterfeiting", and "bootlegging" have been used interchangeably in the body of this work largely for style and color. In fact, these terms may each be precisely distinguished from each other. While these distinctions have been primarily relevant to illegal audio and video duplication on easy to copy media (e.g., cassettes), it is worth defining here what these meaningful differences are. It should be noted that these activities are criminal, and should be collectively distinguished from legal, casual home copying/"dubbing".

PIRACY

The act of copying content (audio, CD-ROM, DVD discs, etc.) and selling it at a reduced price.
Buyer Profile: As applied to software, purchasers know the product is pirated. If it is a CD-ROM, they accept the fact that there is no documentation or technical support and that low-cost upgrades to newer versions aren't available.
Where It's Sold: Local computer shows, flea markets, mail order.

COUNTERFEITING

The act of copying content (as above) and having it look like the original. Counterfeit copies often find their way into the hands of legitimate dealers.
Buyer Profile: Purchasers of counterfeit software usually (but not always) are unaware that the CD product is not genuine and usually find out by trying to register with the publisher for either updates or technical support.
Where It's Sold: To wholesalers for bundling purposes, smaller software retailers, record and book stores.

BOOTLEGGING

This should not be confused with either of the above genres. Long a problem in the audio market, it is a growing concern in other fields. In audio terms, a bootleg is a copy of an unauthorized concert soundtrack, radio broadcast, and sometimes studio outtakes. Purveyors of such product do not include legitimate trademarks or logos.

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