
3.3 Software Engineering Profession and Ethics 59
As software usage grows, so has its value. According to a Research Triangle
Institute (RTI) report prepared for the U.S. National Institute of Standards
and Technology, software has become an “intrinsic part of all the U.S. busi-
nesses today.” It goes on to state that the total sales of software reached
approximately $180 billion in 2000.
The increased value of software has also brought its share of problems, as
millions of dollars of software are stolen each year, mostly in the form of
illegally copied material. Software is an intellectual property. As such, it has
value and needs to be protected.