Software piracy hit a record $63.4 billion globally in 2011, according to a newly released Business Software Alliance (BSA) study. Released Tuesday, the study estimated piracy has increased by 8 percent since 2010. The study found that most software piracy originates in countries with emerging economies, primarily in the Asia-Pacific region. These nations had an average piracy rate of 68 percent, according to the report. The study calculates the piracy rate as a percentage of the total software installed based on the amount of unlicensed software in use. China alone had $9 billion in pirated software sales. The US is the largest market for pirated software, with $9.8 billion in sales, but also leads the world with $41 billion in legal software purchases, according to the BSA. In January and February, Ipsos Public Affairs, a research organization, conducted the BSA survey of 15,000 computer users in 33 markets that represent 82 percent of global PC market. (PhysOrg)(AFP)(Information Week)(Ninth Annual BSA Global Software 2011 Piracy Study – Methodology)
