In computer ethics and software law, which term describes the act of copying or downloading a software program from a network and then making multiple illegal copies of it without permission from the copyright owner?

Introduction / Context:
This question belongs to the topic of computer ethics, intellectual property and software licensing. Modern software is protected by copyright law and licence agreements. When users copy or distribute software without permission, they may be committing a legal and ethical violation. Exams on computer awareness often include definitions related to these unethical practices, especially the term software piracy.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The action described is copying or downloading a software program from a network.
• After obtaining the program, a person makes multiple copies of it.
• No permission from the copyright owner or licence holder is implied.
• The context is clearly about unethical or illegal copying of software.

Concept / Approach:
Software piracy is the general term for unauthorised copying, distribution or use of software. It includes activities such as sharing a single licensed copy among many users, distributing cracked versions, or downloading commercial software from unlicensed websites. Network piracy is sometimes used informally but is less standard in exam textbooks. Plagiarism refers to copying text or ideas and presenting them as your own work, usually in writing or academic work. Site licence piracy would mean misuse of a site licence, which is a specific type of licence, not the general act. Copyright infringement is a wider legal concept, but in computer fundamentals questions the specific phrase software piracy is usually tested.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify the key idea in the question. A person copies or downloads a program from a network and makes multiple copies. Step 2: Recognise that this behaviour ignores licence terms and copyright, so it is an example of illegal copying of software. Step 3: Recall that the standard term for illegal copying and distribution of software is software piracy. Step 4: Compare with plagiarism, which focuses on copying written work or ideas, not digital software programs. Step 5: Network piracy may sound similar but is not the common textbook term used for this behaviour. Step 6: Site licence piracy would refer only to misuse of special licences that cover many machines in one organisation. Step 7: Although copyright infringement is legally correct, exam syllabi for basic computer awareness usually highlight software piracy as the direct answer. Step 8: Therefore, the description most closely matches the definition of software piracy.

Verification / Alternative check:
If you look at computer awareness books or cyber ethics chapters, you will find definitions such as software piracy is the illegal copying, distribution or use of software. Examples given include installing one copy of a program on many computers, downloading cracked software from the internet and sharing serial numbers. The scenario in the question, where a program is copied from a network and then duplicated many times, fits this definition exactly and is usually labelled software piracy in those texts.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Network piracy is not as standard a term as software piracy and exam questions rarely use it as the main definition. Plagiarism is usually associated with written assignments and research work, not software copying. Site licence piracy is too narrow and refers to misuse of a specific licensing method. Copyright infringement is a broader legal concept and not the exact terminology that basic computer questions normally test.

Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes confuse plagiarism and piracy because both involve unethical copying. To avoid this, remember that plagiarism is mainly about copying words or ideas, while software piracy is about copying software programs or games without permission. Another pitfall is to overthink network related terms, but the safest and most widely taught label for this act is software piracy.

Final Answer:
The act of copying or downloading a software program from a network and making multiple illegal copies is called software piracy.