Using pirated software in teaching computer science

8-9-2017 | IslamWeb

Question:

Assalaamu alaykum, Shaykh. A person has offered me a job. He is about to open a computer institute, and he needs someone who could teach the students. The fees will be shared between him and the teacher in half. I can teach as many subjects as I wish, and the profit will be shared between us in half. However, I am sure that he will use pirated software in his computers, so should I teach less subjects given that if I teach more subjects, more people will use those pirated softwares. Note that if I do not teach certain subjects, there wil not be anyone else who will teach those subjects, and as a result, less people will use those computers having pirated softwares in them.

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Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

Intellectual property rights and other moral rights are preserved and owned by their owners, and it is not permissible to transgress these rights.

This is the fatwa of the Islamic Fiqh Council and other religious councils. It is not permissible to use pirated copies of copyrighted software.

Therefore, what can be said as an answer to your question, although it is not very clear, is that it is not permissible for you to use pirated software programs in your work in the institute, whether the subjects are few or many, and whether there are others who teach these subjects or not.

Allah knows best.