Does Software piracy in the 3rd world pave the way for Corporate piracy?


Software piracy cost the industry a record $63.4 billion globally in 2011 with emerging economies listed as the main culprits, an annual study said Tuesday.

This was up nearly 8% from the previous record of $58.8 billion in 2010, the Business Software Alliance (BSA) said in the study.

In the Asia Pacific, which comprises several emerging economies including China, bootleg software usage also cost the industry an all-time high of $21 billion last year, up 12% from 2010, BSA said. - source

I don't see what the fuss is about.

Once the people are adequately skilled, the Corporation will be able to come in and quickly make money out of the people who have been educated and developed by means, piratical or otherwise.Software 'piracy', for instance, in the ‘3rd world’, is like charity - it prepares and develops the people there for later exploitation by the corporation.  Once the people are adequately skilled, and PC-literate, the Corporation will be able to come in and quickly make money out of the people who have been educated and developed by means, piratical or otherwise.  Perhaps, methinks, the corporation want to be able to just go in and make a bundle without having to invest anything in developing the people, as is the case in charitable ventures.

I’ve also known people in the past who purchased pirated software, and when i asked them why they did so, they would say, ‘Oh, just want to get the skills so i can get a job (in the relevant field)’.  Unreasonable isn’t it.



And if you really think about it, if the people whom contributed to software development were to be fired, do they get royalties for it?  No?  Reasonable isn’t it.

And anyway, if this much can be lost through 'piracy', and the software corporation can still make billions, by how much, pray tell, have they been overcharging people?

Oh, by the way, i’m not supporting ‘piracy’ here.  I’m just directing consideration of the entire picture, which might indicate that the definition of ‘piracy’, to date, is quite narrowly defined.


ed




Comments

  1. This Blog deserves far more attention than it is getting
    right now

    ReplyDelete
  2. Though i wouldn't say that "Software 'piracy', for instance, in the ‘3rd world’, is like charity", it is true that with easy availability of the (pirated) software products, it would increase the knowledge and usage of the products and up-skill the people and possibly improve the conditions of the lives. I personally know a few people from the "3rd world" who have benefitted from "piracy". However, one thing for sure is that Corporations benefit the most out of it. They so-called own the software created from the people and when these people get fired, the software still belongs to the Corporation. In fact, I would consider "piracy" as an investment on training from Corporations. 

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