Warez

Warez refers to pirated software and other copyrighted digital media—such as video games, movies, music, and e-books—illegally distributed online, often after bypassing digital rights management (DRM). The term, derived from “software wares,” is pronounced like “wares” (/ˈwɛərz/). Warez is typically shared via peer-to-peer networks, file-hosting services, and IRC. The global community involved is known as The Scene. Although warez culture dates back to the 1980s and remains embedded in online communities, its distribution generally violates copyright law and continues to raise legal and ethical concerns.