Piracy is a black-and-white issue: Using software without owning the license for it is theft. But supporters of a new type of piracy believe they have found a gray area: abandonware. Distributors of abandonware define it as software that is at least five years old and is no longer being sold or supported by its publisher. Abandonware pirates don't see themselves as lawbreakers. Software publishers vehemently disagree.

There are more than 100 abandonware sites offering up to 1,000 software titles, predominantly games but also applications and operating systems, free for download. Although these Web sites have existed since the early 1990s, antipiracy groups have only recently begun to target abandonware. Despite their efforts, however, abandonware piracy continues to thrive as more and more people take advantage of the abundance of free software.

Piracy costs the software industry billions of dollars annually. But, abandonware pirates argue, if publishers are no longer promoting a product, profiting from its sale, or even supporting it, then there's no harm in distributing abandonware. Software publishers see it differently, saying that abandonware piracy is in violation of copyright law, clear and simple.

The Pirates
These Robin Hoods of software piracy believe they're providing a public service.

The Publishers
Even if it's just to prove a point, software publishers will go after abandonware pirates.

The pirates