Question:
hi my friend managed to break the encryption on the bar-ilan program that he brought, would it be permissible for me to get it from him and does it make a difference that it is an old version of the program which they do not sell anymore and therefore will not cause them a loss (i am not sure whether i would have brought the program if not for this).
Answer:
There are poskim like Rav Eliashev zatsal who would maintain it is osur even if they don’t sell it anymore-bec still it is theirs and they can decide what is permitted. If it is osur according to the law most poskim would say it is osur. If when your friend broke the encryption it was being sold it is even worse bec it is osur to encourage people to do wrong things.
Yosef Fleishman
