BSA Encouraged by Drop in Software Piracy Rate in Emerging Economies

Washington, DC -- Though the worldwide rate of software piracy remained unchanged in 2005, the rates in emerging economies such as China, Russia and India improved, according to a new report from the DC-based Business Software Alliance (BSA), an  association of some of the world's largest software developers. The BSA said that 35% of the packaged software installed on personal computers worldwide was illegal, amounting to $34 billion in global losses, piracy rates decreased moderately in more than half (51) of the 97 countries covered in the study. "The progress made in reducing PC software piracy in several emerging markets provides some encouragement; however, much more needs to be done," said Robert Holleyman, the president and CEO of the BSA. Piracy rates in Russia and China each dropped 4%, while the rate in India fell 2%. Some Bay Area members of the BSA include Adobe, Apple, Autodesk, Borland, McAfee and Symantec.
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