NEWS: Losses due to software piracy go on rising

KUALA LUMPUR: Losses due to software piracy in Malaysia continue to increase, said antipiracy watchdog the Business Software Alliance (BSA).

The losses were recorded at RM1.4bil last year, compared to RM1.2bil previously. The local software market is growing, the BSA pointed out, but the illegal-software industry is keeping pace.

Jeffrey Hardee, vice-president and regional director of BSA Asia Pacific, said that while efforts to bring down piracy levels are enjoying some success, the losses are still “enormous and rising.”

“This is deeply concerning,” he said. “Clearly there is much to be done to engage governments, businesses and consumers on the risks and impacts of software piracy.”

He was speaking at the BSA’s Seventh Annual Global Software Piracy Study here today.

According to the BSA, software piracy in Malaysia has fallen to 58%, which is one percentage point below the regional average.

“We are happy that Malaysia has seen a gradual decline from 60% in 2005,” Hardee said.

The worldwide piracy rate, however, rose from 41% to the 43% recorded last year. The cause is attributed to the growth in PC software deployment in emerging economies such as Brazil, Russia, China and India.

“Some people think there are no consequences to using pirated software,” Hardee said. But there is.