Source: Stefania Moretti | Money
The U.S. has one less reason to keep Canada on its "watch list" of piracy havens, a leading e-commerce expert said after a new report found pirated software on Canadian personal computers fell to its lowest level in four years.
The value of pirated software on PCs including laptops in this country topped $1 billion last year, the Business Software Alliance's annual study global found. An estimated 28% of software was stolen, placing Canada among the 15 lowest piracy countries in the world.
"The BSA study is only the latest data point from the industry that counters the steady stream of myths regarding the Canadian market and Canadian copyright law," Michael Geist, professor and Canada research chair in Internet and e-commerce law at the University of Ottawa, said in a blog post Friday.
Earlier this year, the U.S. placed Canada on its Special 301 Priority Watch List because of what it considers a lack of teeth among enforcement officials and limitations in the trademark regime.
But there's enough evidence that runs contrary to the widely-held notion Canada is the "wild west" of the digital world, Geist said. Canada's digital music market has grown faster than the U.S. market for five straight years, the recording industry lawsuit against isoHunt is proof alleged violators of copyright law are being held to account, and movie piracy is on the decline.
U.S. "shame and name" tactics are likely a veiled attempt to pressure Ottawa to strengthen copyright laws, he said.
"At 28%, Canada's piracy rate is at an all time low, dropping six percentage points since 2006," said Michael Murphy, chairman of the BSA Canada committee.
"While these findings show that progress has been made in reducing the software piracy rate in Canada, there is still more work to be done on behalf of Canadian businesses and consumers alike. The further we reduce software piracy, the better it will be for the Canadian economy."
According to a new public opinion survey conducted by Ipsos Public Affairs for BSA, Canadians want to play by the rules, at least in theory.
Sixty-eight per cent of respondents said inventors should be rewarded for the creations.
The vast majority of Canadians also acknowledged that support for licensed software is better than for pirated programs.
The problem, according to BSA, is that Canadians lack a basic understanding of what constitutes legal and illegal software.
While most respondents said peer-to-peer, lending software and street markets are illegal, 59% believe that auction sites provide legal software. Almost two-thirds said installing multiple copies at home is legal. Over-installation is the top source of software piracy, the study found.
Overall, BSA found support for intellectual property rights is strongest in countries with the highest piracy rates.
Rudy Jaspers - Insign.it Kelowna - This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it - (250) 469-9338 - http://www.insignit.ca
