Piracy

Avoid software piracy

Software piracy is the duplication, distribution or use of software without authorization from the copyright owner. Software piracy is a crime that hurts everyone — businesses and consumers. Please protect yourself and help Claris combat piracy.

Piracy can hurt you. Beware of downloading pirated software as it may contain malware (viruses, bugs, worms, trojan horses, or trap doors designed to interfere or harm). IDC research shows there is a 33% chance that consumers and enterprises will encounter malware when obtaining or installing a pirated software package or buying a PC with pirated software on it. Also beware of ordering from questionable websites as they can be a front for identity theft scams and credit card fraud.

How to spot illegal software

  1. "Too good to be true" pricing
    Illegal resellers always market “genuine” software at a big discount. The reason why it is so cheap is because they didn’t pay Claris for the software. Use your common sense to avoid these alleged “deals.”
  2. OEM Software
    Many resellers falsely claim that they are distributing cheap OEM software. Claris does not distribute discounted OEM software, so if they advertise “OEM” discounts beware of illegal software.
  3. Anonymous Sellers
    If you are ordering software from a web reseller that does not provide a legitimate physical address and phone number on their site, then BEWARE. There is a good reason why they don’t want to be found. Don’t trust these sites with your credit card or any other valuable information or you may well regret it. If you order from an auction site like eBay, you should check the seller’s feedback and history before ordering software.
  4. Education/Non-Profit Software
    If you receive software that is marked as an education or nonprofit version and you not are eligible for these discounts, then you should return the software and demand a refund. Resellers sometimes distribute this restricted software to unsuspecting customers without revealing these restrictions up front.
  5. CD Only
    If you receive only a disc without a box, documentation or the other printed materials provided by Claris, then you may be receiving a counterfeit disc or other unauthorized software. If you have any doubts please check with Claris.
  6. Previously Registered
    We recommend that you always register your software with Claris. If you attempt to register your Claris software and you receive an email from Claris indicating that that license key has already been registered, please contact Claris so that we can investigate further and confirm whether you have received illegal software. For customers distributing used software on auction sites like eBay, Claris requires the customer to complete a transfer form before listing its previously registered software.
  7. Casual Copying
    As a reminder, copying software from a friend or another person is violating copyright law. Installing one licensed copy onto multiple computers is also illegal. Do not engage in these activities without paying for the proper licenses required to use and copy the software.

What should you do?

  1. Contact your reseller, demand a full refund or ask for a legitimate replacement product and verification that the product you purchased is legal.
  2. If the reseller refuses to give you a refund or replacement product, report these actions to your local Consumer Affairs Office and the Better Business Bureau.
  3. If you purchased from an online auction site, contact the auction or reseller site and file a complaint.
  4. Contact the FileMaker Legal department at piracy@claris.com or (408) 987-7000.
  5. Contact the Business Software Alliance (BSA) anti-piracy hotline at 888-667-4722 or report online at www.bsa.org.

Protect yourself!

It's estimated that as much as 90% of software sold over auction sites like eBay is either illegal counterfeit or grey market copies. Additionally, it's estimated that 42 percent of installed business software worldwide and 20 percent in the U.S. is illegally copied. Software theft and its related effects -- including lost jobs, wages and tax revenues -- totaled an estimated $9.5 billion in the U.S. and $31.9 billion worldwide (BSA Piracy Study, May 2011).

Fraud

You expose yourself to credit card fraud and identity theft, as many software scams are also a front for credit card scams and other illegal schemes.

Quality

Your software may not function correctly or may fail completely.
Your software may also be an outdated version, a beta (test) version, or a nonfunctioning copy.

Support

You may not have access to customer support, upgrades, technical documentation, training, and bug fixes. You may have no warranty to protect you.

Viruses

You increase your risk of exposure to a debilitating virus that can destroy valuable data.

Penalties

You may be subject to significant fines for copyright infringement. You may experience potential public and private embarrassment, and in the case of an organization, negative publicity that could cause irreparable harm to your business.

Back to top