Colombo, 24 October, (Asiantribune.com): The software piracy rate of Sri Lanka is the second to Bangladesh which ranks 92% .At present Sri Lanka ranks 90 % , according to a recent Global software Piracy Report conducted by the IDC- a global research and forecasting firm , said Roland Chan , Director of the Business Software Alliance of Singapore [BSA].
Speaking at a press briefing held in this morning in Colombo he said due to the software piracy the software industry losses over 86 million US$ per annum.
Replying questions of the reporters, he said this means that nine out of ten software installed personal computers in 2006 in Sri Lanka was unlicensed or obtained illegally through software theft.
The findings of the study have highlighted the need for action against software piracy in Sri Lanka, where it has taken a heavy toll on personal and business users as well as overall economy. The broader economic impact of software piracy is significantly greater than the retail value of pirated software, he said.
Among the many negative consequences of software piracy is the crippling of local software industries because of competition with pirated software, lost tax revenues and jobs from the lack of a legitimate market and decreased business productivity from using unsupported and unwarranted software.
Stemming the tide of piracy in Sri Lanka can only be achieved through industry education and awareness and proactive government led enforcement efforts . Software piracy is tantamount to software theft and therefore forbidden by the law of Sri Lanka . He commended local law imposing agencies and said Sri Lanka has already passed a number of bills to end computer crime and protect Intellectual Property Rights of the entrepreneurs.
Replying queries made by the media, the BSA Director explained the risks of using pirated software are vast-there is no warranty or support and users may even run the risk of fraud and identity theft.
He said the BSA which was formed in 1988 is making a concerted effort through software asset management to raise awareness about software piracy.
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