Half of world's PCs use pirated software: report

Nearly 86% of Chinese computer users acquire their software illegally most or all of the time
A man uses the internet in Beijing. Almost half of personal computer users around the world get their software illegally, with China's massive market the worst culprit, a Business Software Alliance (BSA) survey showed.

Almost half of personal computer users around the world get their software illegally, with China's massive market the worst culprit, a report claimed Wednesday.

A (BSA) survey showed 47 percent of PC users globally believe there is nothing wrong with using unauthorised copies of .

This includes buying a single licence for multiple installations or downloading programs from peer-to-peer networks, BSA said.

The survey of 15,000 in 32 countries showed Chinese users have the most relaxed attitude to piracy.

As many as 86 percent of computer users in the country acquire their software illegally most or all of the time, the survey showed.

"The survey makes it clear that the global software piracy epidemic is spreading fastest in China, which is now the worlds biggest market for new PCs," said BSA president and chief executive Robert Holleyman.

The Washington-based BSA is an industry group that works for and counts among its members some of the world's biggest , including Apple, Microsoft, Symantec and Adobe.

Pirated software installations cost the industry nearly $59 billion globally last year, a BSA report said in May.

It said in terms of value, China was the world's second-largest culprit behind the US, installing $7.78 billion of stolen programs last year.

The commercial value of pirate computer software used in the US was estimated at $9.5 billion, the BSA said in the May report.

(c) 2011 AFP

Citation: Half of world's PCs use pirated software: report (2011, September 7) retrieved 29 March 2024 from https://phys.org/news/2011-09-world-pcs-pirated-software.html
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Value of pirated software nearly $59 billion: study

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