According to a new annual study from the Business Software Alliance, losses related to software piracy amounted to $50 billion USD last year, an 11 percent increase from last year.
The study did note however that most of the increase was a result of the weakening U.S. dollar.
Notable members of the BSA are Microsoft, Dell, Intel and IBM.
For the United States, the number related to piracy was $9 billion USD, and the study concluded that piracy rates were among the lowest in the world, with a number around 20 percent. However, because the US dominates the software market, the losses where higher than any other one nation.
A few of the notable findings, from the report are:
* While emerging economies account for 45 percent of the global PC hardware market, they account for less than 20 percent of the PC software market. If the emerging economies’ PC software share were the same as it is for PC hardware, the software market would grow by $40 billion a year. Lowering global piracy by just one point a year would add $20 billion in stimulus to the IT industry.
* The lowest-piracy countries are the United States, Japan, New Zealand, and Luxembourg, all near 20 percent. The highest-piracy countries are Armenia, Bangladesh, Georgia, and Zimbabwe, all over 90 percent.
* The highest-piracy regions are Central/Eastern Europe (67 percent) and Latin America (65 percent). The lowest regions are North America (21 percent) and the European Union (35 percent).
Notable members of the BSA are Microsoft, Dell, Intel and IBM.
For the United States, the number related to piracy was $9 billion USD, and the study concluded that piracy rates were among the lowest in the world, with a number around 20 percent. However, because the US dominates the software market, the losses where higher than any other one nation.
A few of the notable findings, from the report are:
* While emerging economies account for 45 percent of the global PC hardware market, they account for less than 20 percent of the PC software market. If the emerging economies’ PC software share were the same as it is for PC hardware, the software market would grow by $40 billion a year. Lowering global piracy by just one point a year would add $20 billion in stimulus to the IT industry.
* The lowest-piracy countries are the United States, Japan, New Zealand, and Luxembourg, all near 20 percent. The highest-piracy countries are Armenia, Bangladesh, Georgia, and Zimbabwe, all over 90 percent.
* The highest-piracy regions are Central/Eastern Europe (67 percent) and Latin America (65 percent). The lowest regions are North America (21 percent) and the European Union (35 percent).
