PC Software Piracy, Nigeria Ranked Second

Lagos (WorldStage Newsonline)– With 82 per cent of personal computer users in Nigeria most or all of the time acquiring their software illegally, the country’s software pirate population has been ranked second only to China’s out of 32 countries by the most extensive study ever undertaken on users’ behaviours and attitudes towards software piracy and intellectual property rights.

The study conducted by Ipsos Public Affairs for Business Software Alliance (BSA) put software piracy in at China at 86 per cent as against the global average of 47 per cent.
According to a statement, the study entailed surveying approximately 15,000 PC users included 400 to 500 in-person or online interviews per country. Its findings revealed 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 expressed support for intellectual property principles.

According to Mr Seye Oloruntoba, 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 statement said the study found out 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

According to 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.”

Story by Oladipupo Akinwumi (dipson4real3@yahoo.com)

What People are searching for:

• software piracy in foreign news