Value of pirated software nearly $59 billion: study
File photo shows Beijing security personnel destroying counterfeit CD's and DVD's. Software piracy was found to be rampant in the Asia-Pacific region, with a piracy rate of 60 percent, followed by The Middle East with 58 percent and Western Europe with 33 percent. It said the most common form of software piracy was to buy a single copy of software and install it on multiple computers, a practice which 51 percent of PC users surveyed in emerging markets mistakenly believe is legal.
"There's an awareness gap where many people don't even understand that they're stealing software," BSA president Matt Reid said.
"Governments need to be investing in educating the public about the value of intellectual property. They also need to make sure that the right laws are in place, and then they need to get out and enforce those laws."
I agree with you on that front. It's akin to saying you have to buy a new book for every book shelf you have in your home, if you wish to keep a copy there at some point.
Still, ripping off software or books for that matter, is a major problem not only for the publisher, but the author. Royalties on original work are usually small for most authors. Only a huge distribution (best seller) will make an author wealthy. Most, like myself, don't even get our investment back, hence, every copy of an original work, in this case software, is important. Those who pirate software are parasites who starve their host for their own well being.
CinnamonGirl wrote: Why would they not give someone a discount on the extra copies if they say you have to buy a new copy for each computer.
The pirating is out of control. My son's friends from India talks about it, they never feel bad about it. It is just normal to them.
I see the same thing in Saudi whenever I go into Khobar. Indian and Pakistani hawkers selling pirated software. The prices are amazing but I refuse to support them even though I know they are just trying to survive.
CinnamonGirl wrote: I know copyright laws can are supposed to span countries but I guess it is too hard to regulate. And you know it ends up here too.
Parasites are not relegated to one part of the world. They infest the entire globe. In the case of Saudi Arabia, there has been a half-hearted "crackdown", but as expected too many benefit from the illicit activity. What is interesting is US immigration action that has targeted Arabs entering the country by checking their computers for pirated software. Some Aramco professionals ended up missing a geologic convention because they were caught with pirated software on their computers.
