Survey: 36% Of Software Used Worldwide Is Pirated

By Agence France-Presse Some 36% of the software installed on computers worldwide in 2003 was pirated, representing a loss of about $29 billion to companies, a survey showed July 7. The survey, conducted by research firm International Data Corp. for the Business Software Alliance (BSA), included a broader range of software than previous reports. Last year, the Washington, D.C.-based BSA said the piracy rate was 39%, down from 40% in 2002. But this year's global piracy study incorporated operating systems and consumer software -- not just business software applications as in prior years -- giving a more accurate picture of the global software piracy problem, according to BSA. The study found that while $80 billion in software was installed on computers worldwide last year, only $51 billion of it was legally purchased. "Software piracy continues to be a major challenge for economies worldwide," said Robert Holleyman, president and chief executive of BSA. IDC conducted more than 5,600 interviews in 15 countries and used its in-country analysts around the globe to evaluate local market conditions. Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2004