What is and warez?

WAREZ is the term coined by the hacker/cracker community for pirated commercial software.

Is Downloading WAREZ a crime?

Yes, these software pirates that steal millions of dollars worth of software are criminals. They are committing at least one crime if they are in the US and maybe more depending on which state they live in.

Violation of the U.S. Copyright Act. Federal copyright law gives the owner of any copyrighted work, including computer software, exclusive rights to copy and distribute the work. Those who violate the copyright law can be sued by the copyright owner in civil court or charged in criminal court.