Digital piracy involves the unauthorized distribution of copyrighted material like software, movies, and music online. Counterfeit Microsoft software often contains malware and spyware and poses security and data risks. Digital piracy works by people recording copyrighted content like movies in theaters and uploading it online for others to access. Factors influencing the growth of digital piracy include the quick distribution of pirated content from secret sites to broader sites like torrent sites, new technologies and apps that make accessing pirated content easier, and vulnerabilities in mobile apps that allow their code to be reverse engineered and shared. While piracy provides free entertainment, it is not good as it is illegal and hurts content creators, but offering free trials of software and content could help