A recent study revealed that 79% of all software packed and installed in the country’s personal computers in the last year is illegal. The study about international software pirating was carried out by International Data Corporation (IDC), a global leader in technology research, and published by the Business Software Alliance (BSA).

...the level of software pirating in the DR has remained stable although economic losses as a result of the theft has increased from US$19 million to $39 million in the past year.

According to the research, the level of software pirating in the DR has remained stable although economic losses as a result of the theft has increased from US$19 million to $39 million in the past year.

“The report shows that although national authorities and organizations like Business Software Alliance (BSA) are working hard to reduce software pirating, we still have a lot of work to do in the DR. We should increase our efforts to reduce pirating; we should be offering more significant benefits to local consumers, software companies and providers, small businesses and to the general population,” commented Montserrat Durán, Latin American Director of the Business Software Alliance.

Although the percentage of software pirating around the world has increased by 3 points (38%), the pirating rate in Latin America has dropped from 66% to 65% in the past year. The study found the countries with the highest rate of software theft were Venezuela (87%), Paraguay (82%) and Nicaragua (80%). The countries with the lowest rates were Colombia (58%), Brazil (59%) and Costa Rica (61%).

Montserrat Durán, Latin American Director of the Business Software Alliance.