Piracy is an increasingly popular means for people to obtain essentially any kind of virtual media for free. However, is it really free in every sense of the word? There are several potential consequences to piracy, not only to the one doing it but, in addition, to the global economy. Because of advancing technology, piracy is becoming increasingly convenient and desirable. Though, this also means that there is progressive technology developing to prevent it. The important question is, which of these two forces are improving faster? Unfortunately it is the former, because more and more people are getting away with this expedient form of theft. Protection against piracy is somewhat of a joke. There is a bizarre amount of money and effort being expended in an attempt to prevent the larceny, and it is to little avail. Just how much does this growing phenomenon affect the global economy, and is there realistically anything at all that can be done to prevent it? .
So, why do people do this? Only about 1 in 11 people in the United States are shoplifters. With this in mind, consider the fact that very near half of these adults have intentionally pirated virtual media before. Why do people seem to find it more acceptable or desirable to steal virtual possessions? Apparently, 70 percent of online users don't see piracy as a form of "theft ". Perhaps this is because a physical product requires an industrial means as well as tangible resources in order to produce it; in other words, they do not demand compensation for physical resources. Digital media can be copied as many times as one wants. Or perhaps it may be because pirating is less risky than actually stealing an object. However, they may not realize that stealing something they otherwise would have paid for causes companies to lose revenue. Because of the option to receive the product for free, the following consequences impact monetary flow and job loss momentously.