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Warez, hackerspeak for "software", refers to copyrighted software which is traded freely, in violation of the copyright license. Normally such software comes with encoded copyright protection. To allow distribution the software is either cracked (removal or circumvention of the protection by programming means) or distributed with legitimate serial numbers.
The distribution of such software is illegal in all countries that have strong copyright laws. The deliberate circumvention of software copyright protection, or distributing information which would allow such circumvention (even for purposes of fair use), was made a criminal act in the United States under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.
Warez groups
Also known as warez d00dz. Members of warez groups are generally male high-school or undergraduate students who go by aggressive handles, and may be referred to derogatorily as warez kiddies. (See script kiddies.)
IRC, World Wide Web, 1990s.
0-day warez is released the same day as the commercial release, and is a mark of accomplishment within the community. Negative-day warez (that is, works released by warez groups before commercial release) are even more impressive but (as of 2001) becoming somewhat commonplace in the field of motion pictures.
As of 2001, there were about 8 to 10 major warez networks.
Some warez groups have included:
- DrinkOrDie, subject to raid in December 2001
- RAZOR
- TGW
- FLT
- USA
Software piracy
Warez are considered "software piracy" by business and government officials.
See also:
- Free software and free documentation; by comparison, these terms refer to copyrighted works whose copyright license specifies that the work may be traded freely
- Doublespeak