The discussion focuses on the destruction or theft of hardware, mail and wire fraud, the misappropriation of Federally protected software, and the Federal protection of software as intellectual property. It also considers software crime under general State laws, the transfers of software by telephone, interstate transactions involving theft by computer, illegal access of computers to obtain information, illegal access to gain free computer time, and Federal and State law related to computer hacking. The discussion notes that computer crime is difficult to detect because of the lack of physical activity or personal interaction involved. It also notes that much detected crime often is unreported due to companies' reluctance to admit managerial shortcoming. Furthermore, reporting computer crime does not always result in prosecution. Thus, the full extent of computer crime is unknown. Computer crime has been addressed through the use of longstanding criminal codes and through the enactment of new laws. Footnotes.