According to the seventh annual global software piracy study released today by the Business Software Alliance (BSA), an international association representing the global software industry, in partnership with market research firm IDC, PC software piracy rates in Botswana, Kenya, Zambia and Zimbabwe averaged 83% in 2009.
“While we see some signs that the technology industry’s intensified anti-piracy education activities and enforcement actions in collaboration with local governments and law enforcement agencies are making a difference, we have watched software piracy rates decline by only one percent in the region over the past five years,” said Andrew Waititu, License Compliance Manager for Microsoft East & Southern Africa.
According to the study, both Kenya and Botswana’s piracy rate fell from 80% in 2008 to 79% in 2009. Meanwhile, in Zambia and Zimbabwe, piracy rates stayed the same in 2009 and both countries remain among the top 25 economies with the highest piracy rates. With a piracy rate of 92%, Zimbabwe is second only to Georgia for the highest piracy rate in the world. Zambia ranks #21 on the global list, with a piracy rate of 82%.
“Due to the exponential growth of PC markets in emerging economies like Botswana, Kenya, Zambia and Zimbabwe, we are seeing the worldwide piracy rate rise from 41% in 2008 to 43% in 2009,” said Dale Waterman, BSA Co-Chair, Middle East and Africa. “This rise of unlicensed software in East and Southern Africa’s markets limits local technology innovation, job creation and economic growth. Furthermore, piracy robs governments of vital tax revenues.”
IDC found that the total commercial value of unlicensed software in Botswana, Kenya, Zambia and Zimbabwe totalled US$83 million in 2009. The value of stolen software in Kenya alone accounted for $66 million last year.
A recent IDC whitepaper sponsored by the BSA also reported that if Kenya reduced its piracy rate by just 10% over four years, it would create an additional 977 local IT jobs and contribute $73.60 million to Kenya’s GDP. According to IDC, that represents an increase in total revenue for the local IT industry of $40.01 million and additional revenue for the government of $7.18 million in taxation.
Source [mmegi.bw]
wow, it took the world this long to find out!
Matero should the piracy capital city
There must be a link between poverty, education and IT! Is our education that limited when it comes to handling IT devices to a point where we basically take someone else’s intellectual property without paying for it? Or is it that we equally (i stand to be corrected) dont have enough money on our visa cards to pay for such merchandise???Because the truth of the matter is that i have enough education to understand piracy…and i sure have some change on my card…and a host of pirated CD’S in my car…and home actually! I dont how i got on this run..but am sure if you are honest enough, you too have been found wanting where this is concerned!!!:d/ The way forward, am starting with the man in the mirror…oh ya! GOOD LUCK WITH THIS ONE ZED…
Good Evening
Not that I’m out to defend piracy but such statements as “piracy robs governments of vital tax revenues.” blatantly reveals the one-sided, egoistic aspirations of governments.
Have they ever wondered why so many people in the poorer countries resort to piracy? The Germans say “Not macht erfinderisch” meaning “suffering leads to creativity”.
Instead of putting artistes and entertainers in the foreground, gov’ts are only interested in their thick cut of the cake, for which they neither toiled nor sweated. In fact, they are the ones who even lay stumbling blocks in the media industry by passing restrictive laws – only frustrating the buyer. Let them rather brainstorm on how to make high technology more affordable for the poor instead of complaining about…
With the high cost of ICT infrastructure in the country, everyone is cutting corners on the software
I have always said right here on LT that when a government doesnt enforce laws, it fails to protect emerging industries. If government had enforced anti-piracy laws, the musicians in Zambia would have been in a lucrative industry that would have reduced unemployment at the same time given Zambia a lot of tax revenue. That industry is giving developed states millions of dollars in such revenue. By the way is that the way you destroy pirated DVDs in Zambia; by letting a Minister trample over them? yaba!
Come on. There are no Original Software Dealers in the countries mentioned for particular software that people want to use. The dealers that are there are just vendors selling at exorbitant prices. To get it from the dealer you have to go to South Africa, the costs become enormous so people opt for the easy way out. After-all software life span is very short with new versions coming out bi-annually, you don’t want to get a very expensive package and then within a few months you dump it for a newer one still. Anyway piracy isn’t right but, if you really want to complain complain about China’s piracy. For staff like this Zambia is just a dumping place. The piracy that is in Zambia is where a friend copies software from a friend its not for commercial purpose. But in is Asia its different.
But in Asia its different.
Every blogger here has or is using a pirated(blackmarket) software unless yah using comany PC..the bggest shi.t for this cause is poverty no wonder Zim – Zim rates second to Georgia which is also confilct related and indirectly controlled by Russia..I smell pussiee…! or sorry l mean PC..it pays & pains like birth pain to live in a developing country especially Africa the dark continent 4 the dark pipo…
the government is not doing anything about it how do you expect people to sort it out:-@:-@:-@:-@:-@
kaili ni chimozi mozo!
naivi vi sebaza boss! ni chomozi mozi! baku matero
Expect many more pirated progs, we will bring from Russland. How can a Zambian buy windows 7 ultimate at $500? Come to Russland then u will know what real piracy is.
I dont do piracy but i have all the programmes needed, just dont ask how i acquired them)))
The best place for piracy is here. No one can beat them to it. Find an original item give it to a company and voila! it will bemade exactly the same short of durability.
Piracy-making illegal copies of a trade marked software and selling to other users at a much cheaper price than the original product. Microsoft can track these illegally installed software and blacklist them,with their notorious NOT GENUINE oem
On the other hand if i go to piratebaydotcom and download a cracked version of windows 7 Ultimate a Blue version of Ms Office 2010 and Norton 2010 (90 day trial reset) for my personal use without getting any financial advantage can not be called piracy,its a case of either morality or self consciousness if i have one that is.And if my friend in zed asks me for this software,i give him for personal use as well without taking it to matero to mass produce,well and good,after all its free on the net
tell us something we dont know bane.awe especially fi porno, i dont knw anyone who owns ama orginal. i remember ninshi ni li pa zed, i bought a jayz tape bane from ba kaponya.awe when i played it nayisa na sanga ati ni fi kaponya feelay rappina over jayz’s beats. ya vamambala awe. deuces bane:)>-
#6Kamba Timvere You are abusolutely right there is no law enforcement in Zambia thats why piracy is gone out of hand.In was in Solwezi not too long ago and i saw this policeman in uniform buying pirated DVDs from a vendor and asking him to sell him the action movies.The other problem in Zambia ,as someone has said earlier is that the cost any IT products is so expensive.Those who run so called internet cafes are stealing from the people the download speed is as slow as 10kps,so by the end you finish downloading anything you are paying over K20 000.00 The other issue is the luck of credit cards because one can get any software straight from the dealers online from anyway in the world but one needs a credit/debit card but fraud is so high in Zambia very few people will rish using their cards
correction on #17 “will risk”
Sorry to say this….Please enjoy your pirated software, it works just as good and helps put money into our pockets instead of Bill Gates’ pocket. I am personally a happy beneficially of pirated software. What can do? I am too poor to buy software from the shop. Please advice, I quit using the computer?…No ways!!!
In December 1989 Xerox successfully sued Apple Inc. for pirating its graphics program (original version of Windows). Apple had previously sued Microsoft and HP for copyright infringement after the release of Windows 2.0. Microsoft and HP refused to settle with Apple arguing that GUI technology was developed by Xerox. Apple refused to pay Xerox claiming that graphics cannot be patented because they are natural – ‘like birds and trees’.
Why should anyone pay Microsoft or Apple for their software which is anchored on piracy?
Georgia, Zambia, Zimbabwe and other great nations have followed China’s lead by extending a software tradition of piracy.
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