RI world's second worst software pirate: Survey
RI world's second worst software pirate: Survey
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia is one of the world's greatest
software pirates with a 98 percent strike rate, stealing US$150
million last year from software producers worldwide, according to
a survey.
International Planning and Research surveyed 82 countries in
1995. The survey was commissioned by two American software
producers associations: the Business Software Alliance and
Software Publishers Association.
The results of the survey were revealed here yesterday by
Business Software Alliance vice president David Sigler.
The survey found that 98 percent of software used in Indonesia
was pirated, costing software producers $150.92 million in 1995.
Indonesia was second to Vietnam which had a 98 percent piracy
rate. China and Oman were third with a 96 percent piracy rate.
Sigler said the results tarnished Indonesia's image, and could
have wider implications for the country's trade status.
"Software piracy, illegal copying and the use of unlicensed
software does not only violate the Indonesian law but also could
have wider implications for Indonesia's trade status with her
foreign trading partners in the future," Sigler said.
The Business Software Alliance comprises eight major software
publishers: Adobe, Apple, Autodesk, Bentley System, CNC Software,
Lotus Development, Microsoft, Novell, Symentec Corporation and
Santa Cruz Operation.
A.M. Suseto, the Indonesian Computer Software Association's
chairman, said the high piracy rate was the reason the country's
software industry had not developed.
"Indonesia's startup software producers quickly find that they
are unable to meet the cost of ongoing development because their
projected revenues are being eroded by software piracy," he said.
To promote original software, Sigler presented Original
Software Used Here certificates to three domestic companies: PT
Gunung Sewu Kencana, Santa Fe Energy Resources Ltd. and PT Tugu
Pratama Indonesia.
He called on other local companies to use original software.
He said the Business Software Alliance had opened a branch
office here to combat piracy and would open an Indonesian
language homepage on Internet early next year where people could
find out about original software. The homepage would be located
on local Internet provider Radnet's server.
Losses from worldwide software piracy reached $13.1 billion in
1995, up 9 percent on 1994's $12.2 billion.
Eastern Europe had the highest overall rate of piracy with an
average 83 percent. The lowest overall piracy rate was in the
U.S. and Canada which had a 27 percent average.
Losses from piracy in the Asia-Pacific were estimated at $3.9
billion, with Japan reporting losses of more than $1.6 billion.
(jsk)