Title: Quantitative analysis of global software piracy: 2003 through 2010

Authors: Zhaojun Yang; Jun Zhou; Hong Qin; Kai S. Koong

Addresses: School of Economics and Management, Xidian University, Xi'an, China. ' Department of Project Management, Central University of Finance and Economics, Beijing, China. ' Department of Computer Information Systems and Quantitative Methods, University of Texas-Pan American Edinburg, Texas, USA. ' Department of Computer Information Systems and Quantitative Methods, University of Texas-Pan American Edinburg, Texas, USA

Abstract: Data about the occurrences of software applications and operating systems piracy around the globe is examined and reported in this study. The trends extracted and analysed are based on the piracy rates and commercial values of 116 countries and regions that are also divided into six major geographic areas. This study found that the major affected country rankings are relatively stable and there are always new countries making the list. In particular, the annual changes in the commercial values and rates are always significant upwards in the case of almost all the nations examined. Put simply, based on the period examined, the major countries affected and their rankings in the respective geographic areas are quite systematic.

Keywords: intellectual property; piracy rates; commercial dollar losses; quantitative analysis; global piracy; software piracy; software applications; operating systems; commercial values; Asia Pacific; Latin America; Central Europe; Eastern Europe; Middle East; Africa; North America; Western Europe; business; systems research.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBSR.2013.050620

International Journal of Business and Systems Research, 2013 Vol.7 No.1, pp.81 - 100

Published online: 28 Nov 2013 *

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