Nearly half the world’s PCs use pirated software and think that’s A-OK

There’s a good chance you’re reading this article on a computer with pirated software. We’re not accusing all of our readers of running illegally-downloaded programs, but according to the Business Software Alliance, half of the world’s PCs are using pirated software, so there’s a pretty good chance you are too.
The BSA is a trade group that represents a number of the largest software makers, including Microsoft, Apple, Adobe, and Symantec. The group’s primary goal is to stop copyright infringement of software made by its members. The BSA survey of 15,000 PC users in 32 different countries revealed that 47 percent of PC users worldwide think there’s nothing wrong about using pirated software. That number includes buying one license for multiple users or downloading the software from a peer-to-peer network.
The survey also showed that 86 percent of computer users in China get their software illegally most or all of the time. In fact, back in May, Microsoft estimated that its per-PC profit level in China is about one-sixth of what it is elsewhere around the world.
Since China’s PC market is surpassing the U.S.’s market for the first time ever, it’s a big deal that the country is also seeing the most cases of pirated software. And illegally acquired software is nothing to sneeze about. The BSA said it cost the industry almost $59 billion worldwide last year. Although China’s piracy trend is spreading the fastest, the country wasn’t the top sofwatre pirates this past year. China came in as the world’s second-largest with $7.78 billion of stolen software being installed last year.
The U.S., who until a few weeks ago was the biggest consumer of PCs, saw an estimated $9.6 billion in pirated software last year.