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Software majors ask for task force to curb piracy
By siliconindia
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Saturday, 11 October 2008, 17:11 IST
Chennai: India is becoming one of the world's top hubs of illegal software business which is estimated to be worth $2 billion in 2007, grew by nearly 50 percent. As a parallel market of illegal software is emerging rapidly in India, Business Software Alliance (BSA), a body including software majors of the country, is now seeking the government to create an anti-piracy task force to control the software piracy in India.
Software piracy in the world wide is estimated to be worth $48 billion. Software products developers say, "Even if 10 percent of the piracy is controlled, it would result in $3.11 billion additional revenue to the industry, which can create 44,000 new jobs."
A study by KPMG, a consulting firm finds that nearly 20 percent of the industry's revenue is lost to piracy. Nasscom executives foresee that unless the challenges posed by software piracy are addressed on time, India may not achieve the $12 billion revenue target set for 2015.
Another study by BSA mentioned that the lose for software developers including Microsoft and Adobe in India increased by 58 percent in 2007 to $2 billion, compared to $1.26 billion in 2006 due to piracy. The study also shows that of the total software installed in the country, 69 percent are pirated in terms of licensed users.
High cost for original software and poor enforcement of laws against piracy are cited as reasons for the piracy to grow in India. Together with the growth in the sales of personal computers including laptops in the country, that crossed 7 million marks last year by 20 percent, the piracy of software worsened further.
"There should be an anti piracy task force, special IP courts, and also incorporation of World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) amended to the Indian Copy right Act, 1957," Vipul Sant, Director, original software initiative, Microsoft India told Business Standard.
Adobe have appointed various private agencies to identify resellers, business and end-users who are selling or using unauthorized copies of its software.
BSA also reveals that in major cities such as New Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Chennai, Ahmadabad and Bangalore, a full original package of Adobe and Microsoft software, original of which would cost around 
50, 000 to 1 lakh, can be bought for 200.
50, 000 to 1 lakh, can be bought for 200.
