So you are looking for a piece of software, whether it's a DVD ripper or a music compilation piece. But there is a problem, the software that you have always wanted to get yourself it quite costly. So what do you decide to do? You basically go down the avenue of looking for a pirated or cracked version of the software. You should stop right there, there are so many reasons why it is bad to get pirated software not to say that its illegal. Here we will look at a few stats that may put you off from making this mistake.

First of all did you know that more than 35% of all software on a systems worldwide are pirated, it has cost the industry around 34 billion and this figure is just growing.

Pirated software has many disadvantages. First and foremost the software can get you into a lot of trouble with the law, you could in fact face imprisonment or a heavy fine, from using various type of illegal software. Secondly, do you actually know what you are buying? Pirated software has no guarantee, warranty or refund policy. It could stop working at any time and the amount that you actually paid for that software would have been all gone to waste.

Next pirated versions of software have a tendency to be full of bugs , they are very hard to setup and you will not be able to get access to any critical updates. Another factor on why you should not buy pirated software is because it may contain various different types of viruses, Trojans or spy ware. You could be potentially giving all of your personal information over to a hacker or thief. Just think of it this way, if someone can crack a piece of software, what's there to say that they cannot plant a dangerous file into the program?

All in all you will be better off buying genuine pieces of software. If you are buying from a store you should always make sure the item is fully sealed and if you are buying online, you should make sure the seller sends you all of the relevant licences that are applicable with the item. Although genuine software may cost you slightly more, you will get a huge variety of benefits such a trust, access to updates and full support and help. Most of all you will have a perfect working piece of software.