UK software piracy rate declines

[Charlotte]

Clicky

For the first time in three years the amount of pirated business software on UK computers has fallen.

The Business Software Alliance's (BSA) annual survey shows a 1% drop in UK piracy rates to 26%.

The fall comes against a decline in software piracy in a majority of the 108 nations surveyed for the report.

The BSA says the fall in UK piracy is down to its increased educational efforts and programs that tackle local hotspots of pirate activity.

Bollocks. 

It's because open source software is now easier to obtain and in a lot of cases, much better than the paid-for alternatives.

I need a new operating system for my laptop.  In the past, I'd have ran with a pirate version of XP (I don't think I've ever paid for a Microsoft product) but now, I'm using Ubuntu.  Where I'd once have been using a hooky version of Photoshop, I now use The Gimp.

The internet version of home taping won't kill software.  Crap, overpriced bloatware will.

Ha!

[rogerzilla]

Microshaft's Genuine Advantage Program (sic) has probably reduced piracy rates - obviously, there is no "Advantage" over a pirate version except getting rid of the very intrusive nagware that it installs.  If you're clever you can get round it, but the average home user (like my sister) running a pirate copy of XP with a generated key can't cope with it.

[токамак]

They are talking about piracy in the business sector here though. I agree with you about open source and I think it's uptake is encouraging, but I suspect the growth of open source is attributable to clued up individuals like yourself and it's obvious advantages over proprietary software in the developing world. Businesses need systems that can be fully supported and there are a lot more MCSE's out there than there are Linux experts, so for the time being Microsoft systems are still the preferred option. Perhaps businesses are more aware of the heavy fines they can face if found using unlicensed software...

[bobb]

Interesting. But I'm not sure the fall is for the reason's you suggest. It's probably more to do with frigging figures.

Every software house knows that people are going to pirate their wares. They don't care though. They know there are always going to be people who will buy it legit and people who won't.

I'm not a designer, but I always have some version of PS. Adobe know people do this, but they also know that if it wasn't really easy to get a hooky copy then people wouldn't ask their boss to buy it in a business environment.

Further to that, there's loads of software that people have who are never actually potential customers. The software that I like to use to record music on costs several grand. They haven't lost a customer, because I would simply never buy it in the first place! I'd just do without or use something that was open source....

[bobb]

They are talking about piracy in the business sector here though. I agree with you about open source and I think it's uptake is encouraging, but I suspect the growth of open source is attributable to clued up individuals like yourself and it's obvious advantages over proprietary software in the developing world. Businesses need systems that can be fully supported and there are a lot more MCSE's out there than there are Linux experts, so for the time being Microsoft systems are still the preferred option. Perhaps businesses are more aware of the heavy fines they can face if found using unlicensed software...

Good points, mate.

And who is the main provider of hooky software in our circle of friends?!

[токамак]

They are talking about piracy in the business sector here though. I agree with you about open source and I think it's uptake is encouraging, but I suspect the growth of open source is attributable to clued up individuals like yourself and it's obvious advantages over proprietary software in the developing world. Businesses need systems that can be fully supported and there are a lot more MCSE's out there than there are Linux experts, so for the time being Microsoft systems are still the preferred option. Perhaps businesses are more aware of the heavy fines they can face if found using unlicensed software...

Good points, mate.

And who is the main provider of hooky software in our circle of friends?!

Yeah, that'll be me then...

[Greenbank]

I'm not a designer, but I always have some version of PS. Adobe know people do this, but they also know that if it wasn't really easy to get a hooky copy then people wouldn't ask their boss to buy it in a business environment.

But you'd be surprised at the number of people that will just install a hooky copy on their work computer (without the boss knowing), with the boss turning a blind eye, or even the boss "saving the company money" by deciding not to bother buying those extra licenses to cover the new installs they've done.

[bobb]

I wouldn't be surprised because I have tons of machines at work with hooky shit all over them! My boss does know this though, so it's up to me to tell him (which I do) and up to him to say yes or no.

Aside from the moral point of view, can anybody name a software company that has gone out of business due to piracy?

[rogerzilla]

ITV Digital.

[border-rider]

That was more to do with giving foopball clubs obscene amounts of cash for the rights to matches no-one would pay to watch.

OK people may have watched the matches with hokey set-top cards, but I doubt that without those cards they'd have paid to watch many of them.

[Greenbank]

Aside from the moral point of view, can anybody name a software company that has gone out of business due to piracy?

How many jobs do you think have been lost in the software industry due to lost revenue from piracy?

[токамак]

But you'd be surprised at the number of people that will just install a hooky copy on their work computer (without the boss knowing), with the boss turning a blind eye, or even the boss "saving the company money" by deciding not to bother buying those extra licenses to cover the new installs they've done.

I tell my boss, and the schools that I support, not to take the risk and get the licensing in order. For home use though, warez rulez.

[edit] I am seriously thinking of giving Ubuntu a go. I've tried a few flavours of Linux in the past and I've never really been able to get on with it, always end up reverting to stolen Microsoft stuff after a few weeks. Must try harder!

[vince]

When we were kids we were not allowed to pirate games due to Pop being a developer and being set against it. Strangely enough MS was always an exception.

I think that MS Office actually benefits from home piracy (I'm sure they would not agree). If people cannot have a pirate copy at home they are more likely to use something like Open Office. At the moment most small to medium sized businesses use MS Office as it the product that everyone is familiar with. If people are used to using free, or much cheaper, compatibe alternatives, MS will start to lose market share as businesses cut costs with cheaper products.

[andygates]

Aside from the moral point of view, can anybody name a software company that has gone out of business due to piracy?

How many jobs do you think have been lost in the software industry due to lost revenue from piracy?

You tell us.  I've never seen a starving coder.  A lot got laid off due to the bubble, and plenty are now in skeezy roles like mine because the glitz wore off and we turned into administrators and factota.  But jobs lost?  Figures please!  (And here it gets impossible)

MS benefits just like anyone else from massive pervasive distribution.  People wanna "real computer" they want MS.  Eventually, enough of them pay to make a profit.

[Greenbank]

You tell us.  I've never seen a starving coder.  A lot got laid off due to the bubble, and plenty are now in skeezy roles like mine because the glitz wore off and we turned into administrators and factota.  But jobs lost?  Figures please!  (And here it gets impossible)

Exactly, it's impossible to work out, but it's not zero.

The ethereal/non-material nature of software makes it hard to discuss on anything but the moral/ethical front.

[bobb]

I only have my own experiences rather than figures and stats from sources that are often not impartial, as is the want of this forum.

Do I need to spell it out? If you don't want your software pirated, don't let it be. It really isn't that hard.

All the big boys put out their kit knowing full well that people are going to abuse it. They also know that the ones who do are never potential customers anyway. They'd simply do without. Or get something else.

They haven't lost any money in the *real* world, because the market was never there.

[Mr Larrington]

Clicky

For the first time in three years the amount of pirated business software on UK computers has fallen.

The Business Software Alliance's (BSA) annual survey shows a 1% drop in UK piracy rates to 26%.

The fall comes against a decline in software piracy in a majority of the 108 nations surveyed for the report.

The BSA says the fall in UK piracy is down to its increased educational efforts and programs that tackle local hotspots of pirate activity.

Bollocks. 

It's because open source software is now easier to obtain and in a lot of cases, much better than the paid-for alternatives.

Feh!  It's coz I've got all the warez, hooky copies of Office and fell-of-the-back-of-a-previous-employer software I'm ever going to need

[andygates]

the ones who do are never potential customers anyway. They'd simply do without. Or get something else.

They haven't lost any money in the *real* world, because the market was never there.

Seconded.  My market for graphics software ran to about £50.  I used pirated Photoshop (then *hundreds* of pounds) until I discovered Paintshop Pro, then bought a copy of that.  (going back a while, that)

Why they don't just reduce the price of the product baffles me - but then, some companies do do just that.  There's "MS Office for Students and NHS" which is the Office suite for under twenty quid.

They can charge what they like.  Charging scads and then complaining that the market is small and there are lots of pirates is just bad business.