Product category:
2D CAD software
News Release from: Autodesk
Edited by the Engineeringtalk Editorial
Team on 12 July 2004
Software pirates walk the plank
Autodesk reports that it has recovered more than $63 million in North America since its Piracy Prevention Programme began in 1989.
Autodesk reports that it has recovered more than $63 million in North America since its Piracy Prevention Programme began in 1989, and $3 million during the last year, from settlements with companies using unauthorised Autodesk software This revelation has been timed to coincide with the release of the first annual Business Software Alliance (BSA) and International Data Corporation (IDC) "Global software piracy study"
This article was originally published on Engineeringtalk on 14 Sep 2000 at 8.00am (UK)
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As a founding member of the BSA, Autodesk educates customers and the general public about software piracy and its damaging effects on the economy and product innovation - while aggressively seeking legal recourse against copyright infringers.
"We work with our customers to help them employ the latest tools and purchase options to ensure that they are using legally licensed software", said David Crane, Director of Government Affairs and Corporate Counsel for Autodesk.
"Good software management practices can go a long way toward addressing piracy, but we also call on government officials to increase criminal enforcement".
"Software theft - and that's what it is - undermines the economy generally and software innovation in particular".
The software industry suffers a much greater loss from piracy than other industries.
According to the new study, the worldwide software piracy rate is 36%, reflecting a revenue loss to the software industry of more than $28.8 billion.
The software piracy rate in the USA alone is 22%, representing a $6.5 billion loss of retail sales of PC software revenue.
This translates into lost jobs, tax revenue, and product innovation.
In comparison, the Motion Picture Association of America estimates that the US motion picture industry loses in excess of $3 billion annually in potential worldwide revenue due to piracy, and the Recording Industry Association of America estimates its losses at $4.2 billion annually.
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