Factors Influencing Software Piracy: Routine Activity Approach

Intellectual property has a functional effect on the creation, development and innovation of the intellectual products which improve our life. The basic reason for protection of intellectual property rights is the necessity to encourage and support innovation and to promote the creation of knowledge. Software piracy is one of the important parts of the digital piracy problem and was also the first copyrighted product that was duplicated on a large scale. Definition of the reasons behind an existing problem is a crucial part of the problem solving process. With this study the factors behind the problem of pirated software usage will be empirically analyzed from the users? perspective by applying Routine Activity Theory (RAT). According to RAT, three major factors that affect criminal activities include access to suitable targets, motivated offenders and the absence of capable guardians. According to the routine activity approach, crime or the risk of crime increases when a motivated offender identifies or encounters a suitable target in the absence of a capable guardian.