Andre Yoskowitz
17 May 2012 13:59
According to the latest Business Software Alliance (BSA) report, almost half of the EU uses some pirated software.
The study found that most of the pirates are male, and aged between 25 and 44.
22 percent of those who admitted to piracy said they did it "occasionally" while 26 percent said "rarely."
Says the BSA's report: "The sheer volume of software piracy remains alarming, considering the security risks posed by illegal software and the importance of the industry to the digital economy in the single market."
"The software industry is a major contributor to growth and competitiveness in Europe and reducing piracy would deliver benefits for the European Economy, industry and consumers alike."
Of course, the BSA had some figures to throw in as well, claiming that 33 percent of all software installed last year was unlicensed, with a commercial value of 10.4 billion euro.