Illegal use of business software cost industry around $11.8 billion
worldwide last year and the average global piracy rate has
increased slightly on 1999 with the rate in China at 94% and the
rate in Western Europe the second-lowest at 34%. These are the
findings of the latest software piracy study by the Business
Software Alliance (BSA).
The BSA, an international watchdog group representing leading
software manufacturers, has monitored piracy rates since 1994 to
highlight the serious impact of copyright infringement with piracy.
The results show that one in every three business software
applications was pirated in 2000. The BSA observes that this
continuing problem signifies lost jobs, wages, tax revenues and a
potential barrier to innovation and product development around the
world.
The 2000 world piracy rate did not decline for the first time in
the study’s history, with a one percentage point increase on the
1999 rate to 37%.
The highest piracy rate was in Vietnam, with 97%. Russia was
fifth highest, at 88%. Eastern Europe recorded the regional highest
rate, at 63%.In Western Europe, Greece, Spain and Italy recorded
the highest rates (66%, 51% and 46% respectively). North America
continues to be the region with the lowest rate, at 25%.
