Aided by the government policy to crack down on software piracy offenders and awareness campaigns, India has registered a significant drop in piracy in 2005, according to a study.
India's piracy rate declined by two per cent whereas Russia and China saw a four per cent drop in its software piracy rates, according to the study conducted by IDC and Business Software Alliance.
"It is heartening to see a 2 per cent drop in the Indian piracy rate," co-chairman of BSA India Committee Ajay Advani said. We need the state and federal governments support to further reduce the piracy rate, he said.
"According to an economic impact study by the IDC last December, if we are able to reduce the piracy rate from the current 72 per cent to 64 per cent by 2009, India will generate 115,000 new IT jobs, an additional $5.9 billion pumped into its economy and increased tax revenues of $86 million," he said.
The progress made in reducing PC software piracy in several emerging markets provides some encouragement. However, much more needs to be done in this area, BSA President and CEO Robert Holleyman said.
"With more than one out of every three copies of PC software obtained illegally, piracy continues to threaten the future of software innovation, resulting in lost jobs and tax revenues," he said.
Thirty-five per cent of the packaged software installed on personal computers worldwide in 2005 was illegal, leading to global loss of $34 billion, an increase of $1.6 billion over the previous year, the study said.
The United States has recorded the greatest individual loss of $6.9 billion with the lowest piracy rate at 21 per cent. China registered the second highest losses at $3.9 billion with a piracy rate of 86 per cent, followed by France with losses of $3.2 billion and a piracy rate of 47 per cent.
Piracy rates have decreased moderately in more than half (51) of the 97 countries covered in this year's study, and increased in only 19.
The global piracy rate was unchanged from 2004 to 2005 as large developed markets like the United States, Western Europe, Japan and other Asian countries continue to dominate the software market, the study said.
