Making unauthorized copies of copyrighted music recordings is against the law and may subject you to civil and criminal liability. A civil lawsuit could hold you responsible for thousands of dollars in damages.

Aside from legal trouble, digital piracy can also have implications on cybersecurity. As stated above, hackers can use pirated content to spread malware, trojans, and viruses. Companies who use pirated software open themselves up to copyright violation and infringement.

In fact, piracy is a federal crime. These felony charges can land you in prison for a year or longer, depending upon the circumstances of your individual case.

Piracy is theft, plain and simple. The exchange of money for works, goods and services is an essential mechanism in market based economies and thus, if people access content via illegal sites, they are plainly and simply stealing.