Piracy Rate in Taiwan Spirals Down to Hit Record Low at 40% in 2007.
E080515Y3・E080514Y3 Jun. 2008（E103）
According to the 2007 global software piracy rate study released by the Business Software Alliance (“BSA”), the piracy rate in Taiwan declines to 40% from 41% in 2006, a rate hitting the record low as opposed to the outrageous software piracy in China with a relatively high rate at 82%. Compared to the fulfilled dropping piracy rate of 40% expected and established by the Ministry of Economic Affairs, economic loss caused by piracy rises from USD0.18 billion to USD0.22 billion (equivalent to TWD6.6 billion) as a result of fast growing software market in Taiwan; Taiwan’s piracy rate ranks 3rd among Asian countries, following Japan at 23% and Singapore at 37%.
BSA analyzes that “the falling piracy rate in 2007 is attributed to corporate users’ and nine to fivers’ growing respect for intellectual property rights, and their increasing awareness of legal risks possibly involved in piracy is shaped by the governments’ continued legal enforcement. In one word, it is a successful result of cooperation between the people and the government.”
In 2007 anti-software piracy campaign, BSA received and handled more than 400 reports against piracy. More than that, there were more than 300 thousand nine to fivers participating the “Nine-to-Fivers’ Self-Protection Program”. In addition, the pirated software uncovered in 2007 involved a huge amount of 0.9 billion dollars as a result of the strengthened legal enforcement.
The Director of the Taiwan Intellectual Property Office, Ms. Wang, Mei Hua indicates that the drop of piracy rate in Taiwan has achieved the phased goal set up in the Taiwan government’s “Implementation of IPR Protection Campaign”.
Statistics say that the expanding broadband access in emerging markets and the soaring percentage of end users drive the global piracy rate to rise by 3 points to 38% in 2007 and in the meantime cause overwhelming economic loss of USD48.2 billion, which represents a 22% increase compared with that in 2007. Likewise, the piracy rate in Asia-Pacific region rises by 4 points to 59% to bring about approximate USD14.1 billion in economic loss.
Among the 108 countries included in the 2007 global software piracy rate study, the piracy rate falls in 67 countries but rises in only 8. This study has revealed an unquestionable global trend toward intellectual property rights protection.
Piracy Rate and Global Ranking of Taiwan in 2007
Software piracy rate: 40%
Software piracy rate in Asia-Pacific region: 59%
Global average software piracy rate: 38%
Ranking in Asia (excluding New Zealand and Australia): 3rd (following Japan and Singapore)
Global ranking: 24th
|
Software Piracy Rate Ranking in Asian Countries | |||
|
Ranking |
Country |
Software Piracy Rate in 2007 |
Software Piracy Rate in 2006 |
|
1 |
|
23% |
25% |
|
2 |
|
37% |
39% |
|
3 |
|
40% |
41% |
|
4 |
|
43% |
45% |
|
5 |
|
51% |
53% |
|
6 |
|
59% |
60% |
|
7 |
|
69% |
71% |
|
8 |
|
69% |
71% |
|
9 |
Thailand |
78% |
80% |
|
10 |
China |
82% |
82% |
|
11 |
Indonesia |
84% |
85% |
|
12 |
Pakistan |
84% |
86% |
Source: Business Software Alliance
(2008.05)
/CCS
