Two-thirds of softwares seen pirated in five years

Two-thirds of softwares used in computers globally could be pirated in five years' time compared with about one-third currently as Internet usage widens, a study showed on Wednesday (May 18). Global spending on software is seen rising to 300 billion dollars over the next five years, with the value of pirated software increasing to around 200 billion dollars. "As Internet usage spreads, so does the potential for software piracy - particularly with the wider availability of broadband services," said the study by technology researcher International Data Corp (IDC) and the Business Software Alliance (BSA), a trade body.
More than a third of software used in computers around the world last year was pirated, with the European Union, the United States and Canada accounting for more than half the illegal software, according to the study..