The Toronto Star runs a story on the release, complete a graphic showing Canada among the 15 lowest piracy countries in the world. Canada’s is well below the Western European average and well below the other countries on the USTR Special 301 Watch list. While the BSA notes an increase in the dollar amount, this is due almost entirely to currency fluctuations given the stronger Canadian dollar. Moreover, Joe Karaganis highlights the fact that the BSA says the top source of “software piracy” is not unauthorized versions of software but rather “overinstallation” – the installation of legal, authorized software on more than one computer.
claims that notice-and-notice is ineffective as an approach to ISP liability is countered by data from the ISPs, the Entertainment Software Association of Canada, and by the CMPDA’s own discussions with the U.S.
Please call them what they are: lies meant to manipulate, and the liars should be repeatedly called out and mocked for their Special 301 Fairy Tales list. I suspect the Harper regime will take a renewed interest in compliance with US demands now that it is in a position where it doesn’t have to care what the average voter thinks for the next 4 years.
This is definitely interesting, though the BSA is of course focused very specifically on business software. That’s a very different market from general piracy. I’d be curious to know whether the trend they’re identifying generalizes across all categories – though as you say, movie piracy is down too.
Never let it be said that lobbyists allow facts to get in their way.
Over-installation is not piracy (and I dislike the term piracy in the first place) at least not as its thrown around to describe scruffy geeks downloading warez from Pirate Bay. Over-installation in most cases its unintentional (more like benign neglect) and sometimes its intentional. I view this as breaking the software licensing agreement between two companies which can be resolved without the legal system in most cases and certainly not a criminal matter.
Clearly these exaggerated numbers are lumped together to support the anti-piracy cause. How they gain any relevance is shocking and indicative of the ignorance the various organizations like the RIAA, MPAA, CRIA can exploit. One thing needs to be made abundantly know to everyone: a downloaded copy of software (by the traditional meaning of “pirated”) is not equivalent to a lost sale at full retail price. The vast majority of the downloaded copies cannot and will not translate into sales. This alone invalidates their complete study and methodology.
@BillG Sorry, you’re wrong. Piracy is what the law says it is.
That’s why copyright maximalists are pushing so hard for new copyright laws around the world. They want to change the laws so that we can be coerced into thinking and behaving the way they want us to, to increase their maximum profits.
Copyright maximalists want zero tolerance AND serious legal consequences for “breaking the software licensing agreement.” Thelaws they want *will* MAKE it a criminal matter.
Also, “a downloaded copy of software (by the traditional meaning of “pirated”)” is NOT piracy, although they want you to think that too. Many people PAY to legally download software, movies, music, artwork &tc.
Piracy is an act of criminal violence at sea. What they’re actually talking about with the “overinstallation” is a breach of contract matter.
Of course MPAA likes to re-define words so that “piracy” would mean “breach of contract”. Let’s do it both ways then. A certain company removed an advertised feature from a product they sold to me (they said it could run Linux then removed the feature after I bought the product). And they advertised a network that I could use with their product which is down for 3 weeks now. On top of it they leaked my personal info to hackers. Looks like they aren’t holding their end of the sale contract. According to their own new meaning of words, they look to me like PIRATES.
As far as “over-installation” goes, I see no reason why anyone should have to buy a copy of software per device. If I buy a CD, it is generally accepted that I can transfer it to all of my computers, to my mp3 player, burn it to another CD (and thanks to the levy give said CD to a friend). Why in the hell should I have to buy 3 copies of Windows?
Overinstallion of windows OEM can work with several computers such cheating WPA.
I can lend my own original DVD of Windows 7 to my friend for installing any laptops than illegal downloading.
I doubt that Piracy-rate is too low in Canada. I assumed there is secretly high rate of piracy because a lot of Canadian do torrenting a lot of movies, games, etc. They do copy the movies from Rental for personal use when RCMP gave up for tracking down any offenders since 2007.
Is Canada Movie Piracy Haven. It’s true because I witnessed a lot of pirated DVDs which owns my few friends but they are not interesting to sell copies to anybody. They prefer sharing files to anybody for free 😛 Piracy for sale is an crime.
misspell “privacy” on title. I mean Piracy.
I noticed that I did misspell “Privacy” on Title. I apologize for inconceivable.
I just want to say thank you for all of your honest work on behalf of Canadian internet users. Please keep up your good work.
could it also be that some are looking at Open Source?
LibreOffice or OpenOffice are excellent options for MS office (and they are free), VLC and other open source (free) media players are better than the paid ones. I could go on (Kubuntu for the OS, 29$ to install a new version of OSX)… my point is that most of the ‘piracy’ involves over priced windows based software. As people look to other options that software will be ‘pirated’ less frequently.