Free Loading in… Azerbaijan?
Economist.com has released a report outlining the countries with the most software piracy per computer.
TECH firms constantly moan about software piracy and no wonder. Last year it accounted for 35% of the worldwide market and cost the industry $39.6 billion according to the Business Software Alliance, a trade body. America and China lead the world in terms of total losses from piracy at $7.2 billion and $5.4 billion respectively. But when calculated according to the number of computers in each country a different picture emerges. Cash-strapped countries dominate the leader board. In Azerbaijan, which comes out on top, computers are loaded with $262-worth of pirated software on average. But Iceland is the surprise second-placed nation: although software to the tune of $32m is pirated it is spread over only a few computers.
Okay. What the hell is going on here. I don’t want to sound like an idiot but, where the hell is Azerbaijan? Seriously, maybe it’s just me but I didn’t even know some of the countries on this list had electricity let alone internet. I’m half tempted to let the Economist check out my computer, that should catapult the U.S. to about third on that list. I mean… uh.. nothing. Nevermind.
Posted: May 31st, 2007 under Software, Piracy, Internet.
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