In May 2009, IDC and Business Software Alliance released their sixth annual global software piracy study. It’s a useful insight that offers interesting data about the business development opportunities some countries and regions have.

Here are the major facts that stick out of this report:

• in 2008, out of the 110 countries studies, the piracy rate has decreased in more than half of them. This effect was mostly seen in Eastern Europe and some APAC countries;
• when looking at the global picture, the total piracy rate actually rose in 2008, continuing the trend set in the last years. This happened largely due to increasing PC shipments in high-piracy countries;
• the retail value of unlicensed software increased by 11% in 2008, including the exchange rates effect;
• the economic recession didn’t have an important effect on software piracy.