Is digital piracy a civil or criminal offense?

It can be both, depending on the circumstances, at least in the United States. Regarding criminal liability, 17 USC 506(a) defines criminal infringement as [1]: > (1) In general. read more

Civil is an offense against a person or entity, e.g., a company, who is the defendant. If the court finds liability, then monetary damages are found to make the plaintiff whole again. Criminal is a crime against the state as defined in a statute or law. read more

The owner of copyrighted software may sue the infringer in a civil case or charge the violator with a criminal offense. Since the piracy of copyrighted software leads to huge monetary losses, a civil lawsuit usually requires that the infringer pay for all losses resulting from the distribution and/or illegal copying of the software and any profits the violator made from it. read more