UK Lost Billions in Software Piracy Last Year, Study Says

UK Lost Billions in Software Piracy Last Year, Study Says

According to an IDC study, the UK has lost £1.49 billion in sales, service, and support opportunities because of software piracy last year. Around 25 percent of PCs used in the UK are running fake software, accounting 41 percent of all the software installed worldwide. 
 

The cost of unlicensed software could reach £33 billion, and another £99.3 billion to £132.4 billion is spent in value-add technology services.

 

The report was released by the Business Software Alliance. BSA's spokesperson Ayna Cope said, “Much more needs to be done by the industry and the government to warn businesses and consumers of the risks associated with under-licensed software, from a legal, financial and operational point of view."

 

"Software piracy hurts our knowledge-based economy by weakening the very foundation on which it is built - respect for intellectual property and innovation.”

 

Both IDC and BSA revealed that software piracy played a big part in today's crippled global economy. Another study from BSA showed that trimming down software piracy by 10% could save over £6 billion and boost tax revenues by £6 billion.