Just keep a lookout for Interpol agents.
While Taiwan does a better job than many Asian countries when it comes to copyright protection, one can still buy unofficial versions of just about any software on the streets. It’s an interesting endeavour involving dodgy exchanges of money, and packages left for pickup. First one must go to the tech district in Taipei. This neighbourhood is crammed with technology shops large and small. They sell just about any techy contraption or gadget one could want. The shops are lined up along the streets. Pirated software vendors usually have a table on the sidewalk outside their shop with sheets of paper detailing their illicit offerings. Nobody attends these tables directly. The employee usually stands at a distance watching the table so he can deal with potential customers when they arrive, while staying far enough away to be able to hoof it if the federalees arrive.
When one wants a particular type of software he simply needs to look for a table advertising it. Once the software vendor is found, standing around the table for a while will bring over the stall owner. I recommend haggling over price as these guys will quote way higher than what they’ll take. Once one agrees on price the stall owner will probably tell the customer to give the money to a kid who will be standing a few metres away watching the transaction. After the kid gets the money he’ll jog off to the secret safe house where they keep all the CDs full of illicit software. About five minutes later the kid will return with a little bag. He’ll make eye contact with the customer and place the bag in a conspicuous place walking away with a secretive nod. The customer then simply needs to pick up his purchase and go home to install his new software. It’s a deal if one doesn’t mind subverting international copyright laws and learning the names of menu options in Chinese. Plus, for a few minutes, it makes one feel like an international man of mystery.