I had a discussion this week with an individual who is starting his own business. Since I dabble a bit in the electronic/tech arena, he questioned me about software, hardware, and computer systems.

His initial question, and the fodder for this post, was about a "friend" who could give him "an evaluation copy "of a software package, which would spare him from having to purchase the real one, "at least until he could afford to." Obviously, or it should be, this is software piracy. If you’re using a "licensed" or "cracked" product without legitimately purchasing the product, you’re participating in software piracy.

The good news is that software companies are unlikely to enforce or prosecute these types of cases, because arguably, the moment your purchase the software, you’re no longer violating the copyright law. There may be some consequential penalities for your violation, but these are usually small and not worth the time, effort, or money to prosecute.

Apparently now, what you must be wary of is misuse among your employees of the internet services. With this week’s recent verdict in the RIAA case against a woman for $1.6 million, you should take active measures to eliminate any potential liability. This same advice holds true for personal internet use on work computers, especially pornographic or other misuse.

What makes this even more concerning is that many small business owners potentially expose themselves to personal liability by personally guaranteeing their business internet accounts.

It will be interesting to see the results in the RIAA case, and to see whether they pursue other individuals. Hopefully the other individuals are you and your business.