Guide to buying software online

The Business Software Alliance (www.bsa.org) has produced a shopping guide to help people spot and avoid illegal software offered to them over the internet.

1 Trust your instincts
If a price for software seems too good to be true, it probably is.

2 Make sure it's authentic
Be wary of software products that come without any documentation or manuals.

3 Read the label
Be wary of products that do not look genuine such as those with hand-written labels and watch out for products labelled as academic, OEM, NFR or CDR.

4 Beware of back-ups
Take special care to avoid sellers offering to make 'back-up' copies or citing Section 117 of the Copyright Act.

5 Steer clear of compilations
Avoid compilations of software titles from different publishers on a single disk.

6 Do your homework
Check the feedback section on the auction site to find comments about the seller based on previous transactions. Keep in mind that a clean complaint record doesn't always ensure that you will receive genuine product.

7 Get the seller's address
Remember that if you cannot recontact the seller, you may have no recourse if the product turns out to be pirated.

8 Keep receipts
Print out a copy of your order number and sales confirmation and keep them at least until your software arrives in satisfactory condition.

9 Be careful when crossing the border
Be especially cautious when dealing with software sellers in other countries.

10 Report piracy
Buyers suspecting software piracy, counterfeit software and/or fraud on auction sites should contact the software manufacturer or www.bsa.org.