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Issue Date: December 2000

Borderless markets make accessing illegal software easier

1 December 2000

The Business Software Alliance (BSA), the South African software vendor watchdog which acts on behalf of a number of organisations in the protection of their copyright and licensing rights, has announced that since January 2000, over 50 South African companies have come into compliance with software copyright laws and legalised over $1 million of pirate software as a result of BSA legal actions.
Says Mark Reynolds, chairman of the BSA, "This is encouraging news for the alliance especially in light of South Africa's widespread international adoption. The $1 million in legalisations is a measure of how the BSA has begun to succeed in their drive against software piracy through legal action and the education of the market."
In 1999, the global piracy rate for PC business software applications was 36%. Software theft in the South African market remains unacceptably high at 47%. Furthermore, piracy discourages growth of the local software publishing industry. In order for South Africa to become accepted in the world software economy, the country needs to operate according to international rules. By reducing the rate of piracy, South Africa would be more readily accepted as a mature partner encouraging companies to do business here.
Comments Reynolds, "It is very easy to underestimate the impact that software theft has on the market. For a 'victimless' crime, it annually deprives the industry of an additional 8000 jobs and the government of millions in taxes. This makes the crime of piracy not so victimless after all."
Currently the reward for providing the BSA with a solid lead, leading to a settlement, can be as high as R20 000.
Business Software Alliance
0800 110 447


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