Chinese software piracy rate is at 96%

Although its figures are not complete, IIPA estimates that 2003 losses due to piracy of entertainment software will reach $1.19 bil in China, India, South Korea and Taiwan. But piracy losses were sharply down on the previous year in South Korea (down 35%) and Taiwan (down 56%). The largest software piracy losses occur in China where entertainment software alone was pirated to the value of $568 mil last year, according to IIPA. China's piracy rate remains at 96% - of all software sold, only 4% is legitimately bought.

Six more Asian countries - India, Indonesia, Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand - remain on IIPA's priority watch list for the high losses due to piracy and high rates of piracy. Malaysia is by itself in a watch list category, while Cambodia, Hong Kong, Laos, Singapore and Vietnam are also mentioned as being monitored. Losses due to entertainment software piracy only represent around one-quarter of piracy losses, with the balance made up by piracy of business software, which totaled $2.67 bil in 2002. IIPA has not yet estimated the 2003 figure for business software losses, but only Taiwan and Singapore recorded piracy rates of under 50% in 2002.