About 43 per cent of the software installed on personal computers around the world last year lacked properly licences, an increase of one percentage point compared with 2011, according to a survey by BSA – the Software Alliance.
The BSA Global Software Survey said this year's rate is equal to the previous high set in 2009, as emerging economies, where unlicensed software use is most prevalent, continue to account for a growing majority of all private computers in use.
The value of the unlicensed software slipped marginally to US$62.7 billion.
The survey also found that only 35 per cent of companies have policies requiring them to use properly licensed software.
In addition, there was a significant awareness gap between workers and information technology managers when it comes to software policies at enterprises.
"Workers are less likely than mangers to say there is a formal policy in place," BSA found.
Legal software users wanted to avoid security threats from malware.
Among the security risks associated with unlicensed software, 64 per cent of users cited unauthorised access by hackers as a top concern and 59 per cent cited loss of data.
In Viet Nam, the survey said 81 per cent of software installed on personal computers in 2013 was not properly licensed, the same level as in 2011. The value of the unlicensed software totaled $620 million.
Dao Anh Tuan, BSA representative in Viet Nam, said "Over the past few years, the Government's efforts in combating unlicensed software have been commendable." "The legal system is now strong enough to handle software copyright infringement cases."
The BSA Global Software Survey is conducted every two years for BSA by International Data Corporation (IDC). This year it was done in 34 markets polling nearly 22,000 private and business users and more than 2,000 IT managers.
Source: Vietnamnet