By Fatima Muhammad
Saudi Gazette
JEDDAH — Software piracy rate in the Kingdom was at 51 percent in 2011. However, the net effect of the worldwide piracy rate was 42 percent, meaning more than half of the programs that users installed were unlicensed last year. The commercial value of this piracy in 2011 was SR1.68 billion, an increase of SR128 million from the previous year, although the rate dropped marginally by 1 point.
Mohammad Al-Ahmad, IPR General Manager at Business Software Alliance, which conducted the survey, said that there is an agreement with the Ministry of Culture and Information to increase the awareness of the public about software piracy.
Speaking to the Saudi Gazette, Al-Ahmad said the campaign against software piracy has started 5 months ago and has been going on Saudi local televisions and also through publishing ads on local newspapers. The campaign includes sending letters to companies to correct their status by obtaining only original software.
He said there are regulations against violators that include imprisonment and defamation. Al-Ahmad said the percentage of piracy in the Kingdom has decreased by 20 percent throughout the past 5 years. He added that they hope the decrease will go faster in the coming years.
Al-Ahmad said that the lack of awareness is the main cause of piracy as well as the growth of the software market in Saudi Arabia, which make it a large hub for piracy. Al-Ahmad called for continuous implementation of the violation rules, which will help reduce the piracy rate in Saudi Arabia.
The studies found that admitted software pirates are usually males and are aged between 25- 35. Business decision makers admit to pirating software more frequently than other users.
"Software piracy persists as a drain on the global economy, IT innovation and job creation," said BSA president and CEO Robert Holleyman. "Governments must continue to take steps to modernize their IP laws and expand enforcement efforts to ensure that those who pirate software face real consequences." Piracy is the first enemy and main innovation killer and our efforts will continue to fight piracy as a means to support the government efforts to create knowledge economy said Mohammed Al-Dhabaan BSA representative in the Kingdom.
Globally, the study finds that piracy rates in emerging markets tower over those SR273.75 billion in mature markets — 68 percent to 24 percent on average - and emerging markets account for an overwhelming majority of the global increase in the commercial value of software theft.
This is the ninth annual study of global software piracy conducted by BSA in partnership with IDC and Ipsos Public Affairs, two of the world’s leading independent research firms.
