Is it permissible for an employee working in the field of information technology to receive a salary for installing unlicensed (pirated) software on the company's computers, and what is the ruling concerning past periods?

If programs are protected by their owners from being copied, it is not permissible to copy them except with their permission, based on the Prophet's (peace be upon him) saying: "Muslims are bound by their conditions," and "The wealth of a Muslim person is not lawful unless given with his willing consent." This applies to both Muslims and non-belligerent disbelievers, and intellectual property rights are protected by Islamic law.

Accordingly, "cracking protection" or buying counterfeit copies is not permissible. However, if a free copy is available online or from a friend for personal use, not for commercial purposes, it might be permissible when the original version is expensive. Some scholars permit copying for personal use, not for commercial purposes.

If the state prohibits it, then it is not permissible to violate this prohibition, as it is an order to obey the ruler. However, if the copying is for personal use and not for commercial purposes, there is no harm. As for buying copied programs without the owners' permission, it is not permissible unless permission has been granted.

It is recommended to buy original copies from the company, as they profit from these programs. If the company does not respond and relies on free programs, then there is no blame upon you.