Thirty-five percent of the packaged software installed on PCs worldwide in 2005 was pirated, the same percentage as in 2004, according to a study released Tuesday by the Business Software Alliance (BSA).Global losses from software piracy, however, rose by US$1.6 billion, to $34 billion, according to BSA, a trade group focused on fighting the unauthorized use of software. Some economists have questioned the loss estimates in the annual study, prepared by IDC. The loss estimates reflect the total price users would have paid for legitimate versions of the pirated software, but in some cases, users may have decided not to use the software if they would have had to pay for it, Robert Holleyman, BSA’s president and chief executive officer, said recently. Holleyman applauded progress by some countries, but said “much more needs to be done.”While the amount of global piracy has not gone down, some countries, including China, Russia and India, have made progress, BSA said. The United States had the lowest piracy rate of all countries studied, 21 percent, but because of the size of the software market there, it posted the highest losses, $6.9 billion. China saw the second-highest losses at $3.9 billion with a piracy rate of 86 percent, followed by France with losses of $3.2 billion and a piracy rate of 47 percent, according to the study.The four countries with the largest drop in their piracy rates in the past year were Ukraine, down 6 percentage points, and China, Russia and Morocco, all down 4 percentage points, the study said. The countries with the highest piracy rates were Vietnam and Zimbabwe at 90 percent each, Indonesia at 87 percent, and China and Pakistan with 86 percent each. In addition to the United States, countries with the lowest piracy rates included New Zealand, Austria and Finland.-Grant Gross, IDG News ServiceCheck out our CIO News Alerts and Tech Informer pages for more updated news coverage. Related content brandpost Sponsored by SAP Innovative integration drives automotive group to SAP awards Using SAP Build Process Automation, China Grand Automotive Services Group Co., Ltd. accelerated and streamlined processes for its 700+ dealerships, saving time and costs while earning recognition for its innovation. By Tom Caldecott, SAP Contributor Dec 11, 2023 4 mins Digital Transformation news Concerns remain even as the EU reaches a landmark deal to govern AI Experts believe the new regulation would add a significant compliance burden on businesses as some argue it could even stifle the growth of the rapidly developing technology. By Gagandeep Kaur Dec 11, 2023 7 mins Regulation Artificial Intelligence feature CIOs grapple with the ethics of implementing AI With ethical considerations around AI use increasingly top of mind, IT leaders are developing governance frameworks, establishing review boards, and coming to terms with the difficult discussions and decisions ahead. By Esther Shein Dec 11, 2023 13 mins Generative AI Data Governance IT Governance feature Reed Smith turns to AI for lawyer staffing solution The legal firm’s Smart Resourcing tool helps balance workloads and ensure partners find associates with the right skills and experience, while empowering employees to make connections across the firm’s global footprint. By Sarah K. White Dec 11, 2023 8 mins CIO 100 Legal Digital Transformation Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe