TPA Initiates Crackdown on Crack/Warez Sites

The Trialware Professional Association (TPA) has initiated a full-scale attack on web site operators that offer illegal software cracks and warez for download.

Look Out Crack/Warez Site Operators!

The Trialware Professional Association (TPA) has initiated a full-scale attack on web site operators that offer illegal software cracks and warez for download.

The World Wide Web is infested with hundreds if not thousands of web sites that allow people to download illegal software cracks, keygens and warez. Software cracks are small programs that when run patch a computer program executable, changing it from a trial/demo version into the equivalent uncrippled non-time-limited version. Keygens are programs that generate key codes for a given application. When these codes are entered in the trial software, the application becomes unlocked. Warez sites host pirated copies of commercial software that can be downloaded for free.

These illegal sites rob software companies of their revenue by illegally providing other's commercial software for free. Large companies have legal departments to track down and prosecute warez sites. However, smaller software companies with limited budgets don't have such resources available. To help out the small shops the TPA has started the Crack Killer program.

Volunteers at the TPA regularly search for illegal software sites and enter them in their crack database. Concerned members of the general public can also send in links to illegal sites by email at nopiracy@trialware.org. Attempts are then made to shut down the sites.

Most of the illegal sites are maintained by individuals using free web hosts. These sites are very easy to shut down merely by contacting administrative contacts at the free site. Other sites have their own domains and some appear to be run by large companies usually operating in Asia and Eastern Europe. These sites pose the biggest challenge for the TPA.

The TPA hopes that by software authors banding together and by working with other software piracy organizations like the Business Software Alliance (BSA) they can take a big bite out of the software piracy pie.

The Trialware Professional Association is a free-to-join non-profit organization for anyone connected with the business of developing, distributing and marketing of trial or demo software. The TPA strives to foster a professional image of the trialware industry.

For more information, contact:

Trialware Professional Association
mailto:info@trialware.org
http://www.trialware.org/
###