Historically the United States has faced an uphill battle getting many other governments to take intellectual property infringement.  Many countries in Asia and South America did not see the importance of protecting the rights of inventors or authors - or at least those from other countries.

Such attitudes have been changing.  This morning I received a report from a firm in Brazil announcing a $4 Billion (yes with a "B") judgment against Strand Center and its retailers for selling pirated computer video games and other software.  Strand Center was a popular mall in Sao Paulo. 

U.S. Companies would be wise to also take intellectual property seriously.  The difficulty in making out a copyright case is finding the infringement.  If a company is pirating software it is usually hard to tell.  The way most internal piracy is discovered is that a disgruntled employee or former employee contacts the maker of the software or the Software Business Alliance.

While pirating software saves money in the short run.  I may destroy a business in the long run.  More importantly, it is dishonest, unethical and illegal.