Piracy hurts everyone, especially you.   With the up and coming criminal lawsuits and the recent prosecutions of many pirates, the crimes remain while consequences get more and more aggressive.   Unfortunately, many myths have been started since the beginning of the Internet.   One of the favorites is that there is a 24 hour limit for "try before you buy."  This is NOT TRUE.   Copyright law does not allow any sort of copyright infringment, including a trial period.  Piracy just doesn't pay.  With a 5 year maximum sentence and a $250,000 fine as a felony conviction, the last thing anyone wants is federal agents knocking on your door with an infraction of Title 17 of the US Code.  Rather, if you like the software, the purchase it and support the developers.  Another alternative is to support open source.   Either way, stay away from getting into a whole load of legal issues and perhaps ruining your life.

While hacking has a similar consequence, this is dependent on the sub-culture you belong with and what type of hacking.   Media has unfortunately misrepresented the word "hackers" as anyone that intrudes illegally on computer systems.   While this is true with malicious hackers, those that work in the network security field are termed as hackers also.  In any case, common sense can get you out of becoming one of the hackers that get into trouble and prevent you from being slapped with Title 18 U.S.C.  If it's not your system, and you have no business being on there or having other people's passwords, don't.   The last thing one needs is a five year maximum sentence with a $250,000 fine for one felony count of a Title 18 violation.

Software Piracy Protection - Microsoft
Cybercrime - Federal Government Cybercrime Division
Anti-Piracy Information - Business Software Alliance
What is Warez? - Antionline.com
Anti-Piracy Information - Electronic Arts
Operation Bucaneer investigators - U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement
What to do when you find a pirate site? - Amiga No-Piracy Campaign
Strategy Targeting Organized Piracy (STOP!) - U.S. Department of Commerce
Do not steal websites! - Pirated-sites.com
The 'No Electronic Theft' Act - UCLA Online Institute for Cyberspace Law and Policy
Anti-Piracy - Motion Picture Association of America
Report Piracy! - Software & Information Industry Association
Online Piracy and Electronic Theft - Recording Industry Association of America

nc2600 - North Carolina 2600
AntiOnline - AntiOnline.com
Magic Lantern - VNUNET on FBI Magic Lantern
Carnivore, Oct. 2000 - Kevin Poulsen, Security Focus
How Carnivore Works - How Stuff Works
Vacuum@technotronic interview - Antioffline.com
HERT - Hacker Emergency Response Team
Global Security Resource - Packet Storm Security
CERT Coordination Center - Carnegie Mellon Software Engineering Institute