Craigslist – A Haven For Pirated Software?

Recently, we upgraded one of our Macbook Pro laptops with the idea of selling the old model on Craigslist. Within an hour of posting the laptop, there were a handful of interested parties. The question asked by most of the interested parties was, “What software is installed?” This question seemed odd but after reviewing some of the other Macbook Pros for sale, we realized that people were selling their laptops with expensive Adobe and Microsoft software installed. The real question is, are they also selling the license for the software? If the seller does not include the license for the software, then he/she is selling pirated software. For example, one post claimed the following software was installed:

• Adobe CS4 Master Collection: $2,499.00
• Microsoft Office 2008: $399.00

This means for $2,000 you get a laptop worth $1,800 and software worth $2,898. What most people don’t realize is that the software is pirated and they are not selling a valid license. It is amazing that Adobe and Microsoft have not cracked down on this potentially illegal market. The reckless disregard for intellectual property rights is disturbing, although for a site that has been dealing with prostitution and human trafficking, it appears to be par for the course.

Updated: Craigslist bowed to legislative threats from around the United States and removed their erotic-services category in favor of a legal adult services category. Each post to this new category must be manually approved by Craigslist for a $5 fee.