Ipsos Public Affairs for Business Software Alliance (BSA) has just released a ranking showing how PC users in countries acquire software. The 32-country study ranks Nigeria’s software pirate population second only to China’s, which stands at 86 percent.
According to the Press Release made available to our team, the study reveals that large majorities of computer users in the developing world regularly acquire software through illegal means.
The result of the study shows that significant majorities of software pirates in developing markets incorrectly believe that typically illegal means of acquiring software are in fact legal. And as a such, many people become accidental software pirates.
For full details of the Press Release, click below [showhide type=”pressrelease”]Lagos, Nigeria — 23 September 2011
82 percent of personal computer users in Nigeria acquire software illegally most or all of the time according to the most extensive study ever undertaken on users’ behaviours and attitudes toward software piracy and intellectual property rights. The 32-country study, conducted by Ipsos Public Affairs for Business Software Alliance (BSA), ranks Nigeria’s software pirate population second only to China’s, which stands at 86 percent – looming far above the worldwide percentage of 47 percent.
The study entailed surveying approximately 15,000 PC users included 400 to 500 in-person or online interviews per country. Its findings reveal that large majorities of computer users in the developing world regularly acquire software through illegal means — such as buying a single license for a program and then installing it on multiple machines, or downloading programs from peer-to-peer networks — even though they express support for intellectual property principles.
In Seye Oloruntoba’s words, Anti-Piracy Manager, Microsoft Nigeria , “Many people in Nigeria aren’t clear on what constitutes piracy. Everyday we come across stories where people have unknowingly bought discounted counterfeit software from online brokers. Many people think that because they’ve paid for the software, it must be genuine. This is just one of the ways many consumers become ‘accidental pirates’.
The study finds that significant majorities of software pirates in developing markets incorrectly believe that typically illegal means of acquiring software are in fact legal. At the same time, they believe software piracy is common, and they think it is unlikely that software pirates will be caught. Unfortunately, business decision-makers around the world exhibit behaviors and express opinions that are similar to these other computer users included in the survey
Notes Oloruntoba, “Pirating software is often seen as a ‘cheap’ alternative to purchasing it legally. However, in the long-term it can be far more costly, and for businesses, disastrous. It brings in many dangers in the form of malware, spyware, and viruses that can lead to identity theft, loss of data and more.”
“By providing an overview of global and country specific attitudes towards piracy, this study validates the work we are doing in the region to educate consumers about what software piracy is and the risks associated with non-genuine software. We are also working with local government agencies to prevent organizations from inadvertently acquiring illegitimate software and licenses, and are driving customized programs and affordable solutions to help protect customers from becoming victims.”
Click here to download the complete report from BSA’ TechPost.
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