Microsoft classifies "software piracy" as illegal copying of applications, or counterfeiting and distributing software. However, piracy has more dangers than in just breaking the law, it isn’t protecting you and your computer effectively.

As access to the internet, burners and is becoming more rapidly accessible, there has been a large increase in the software piracy by the sourcing illegal software through "underground" websites. However, as a result, a large amount of software being downloaded contains viruses, malware and spyware - costing more than the software to clean up and recover from afterwards!

It is also becoming increasingly easier to accidently purchase illegal through online stores and auctions. Microsoft provides some tips as to how to protect yourself when shopping online for software on the internet:

	Stay alert: not everyone is as honest as you are!
	Be certain you have the full company addresses and phone numbers before buying.
	Always ask for full details regarding return, service or warranty policies.
	Keep records, and keep them safe.
	Check product prices.
	Stay cautious of unusual or special deals.

For additional details, please visit http://www.microsoft.com/australia/piracy/basics/whatis.mspx.

To see if you are a victim of software piracy, It is highly recommended that at your next opportunity, you confirm your Microsoft Windows and Office software is genuine by validate your software using Windows Genuine Advantage.

Windows Genuine Advantage checks to ensure you are using legitimate software which is able to be upgraded, supported and managed effectively, long after your purchase. It also enables you to download products only available to users running genuine versions.

You can read more about Windows Genuine Advantage and download it from http://www.microsoft.com/genuine.