Software Piracy Worsens In Asia

Software Piracy Worsens In Asia-Pacific region continued to grow last year,driven by the rapid growth in computer sales and the availability of bootleg programmes online.The Annual salary survey by the Business Software Alliance (BSA) and the industry research firm IDC showed that in 2008, an average of 61 percent of the region's software were unlicensed.
The figure was up from 59 percent the previous year.This led legal software vendors to lose 15.26 billion US dollars, up 8.3 percent from 14.09 billion dollars the previous year, according to the study.
The global average of unlicensed software worsened to 41 percent in 2008 from 38 percent the previous year, causing losses of almost 53 billion dollars, the study said.The increase in average piracy rate was attributed to the mathematical outcome of more rapid growth of personal computer (PC) markets in economies of piracy rates.The availability of pirated software online,facilitated by increasing broadband penetration in the region was also cited as another factor behind the increase.
Bangladesh was the biggest culprit in the region last year with a piracy rate of 92 percent, followed by Srilanka at 90 percent and Pakistan at 86 percent, the study showed.
Japan had the lowest rate, at 21 percent, followed by the New Zealand at 22 percent and Australia at 26 percent.In China, the average piracy rate dropped to 80 percent last year from 82 percent in 2007, the study showed.