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How can the rights of using pirated games and software be restored? Is it obligatory to purchase programs that are still sold, or to purchase other programs from the same company as compensation for those that have been abandoned? Is it permissible to purchase used copies that do not benefit the company? Is it necessary to purchase the program for each instance of its use on different devices?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

For forbidden programs and games, using them without the permission of their owners only necessitates repentance to Allah, and no right is incumbent upon their owners because that which is forbidden to benefit from does not require compensation. As for permissible programs and games, it is not permissible to benefit from them without the permission of their owners. Whoever does so must repent and seek absolution from the rights-holders or reconcile with them. If that is not possible, then they should give in charity the value of what they benefited from. There is another opinion that permits benefiting from these programs for personal use without commercial gain.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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