Information & Communication Technology Arena

82 percent of personal computer users in Nigeria acquire software illegally most or all of the time according to the most extensive study ever under taken on users’ behaviours and attitudes toward software piracy and intellectual property rights.The 32-country study, conducted by Ipsos Public Affairs for Business Software Alliance (BSA – www.bsa.org), ranks Nigeria’s software pirate population second only to China’s, which stands at 86 percent – looming far above the worldwide percentage of47 percent.

The study entailed surveying approximately15,000 PC users included 400to 500 in-person or online interviews per country. Its findings reveal that large majorities of computer users in the developing world regularly acquire software through illegal means — such as buying a single license for a program and then installing it on multiple machines,or downloading programs from peer-to-peer networks — even though they express support for intellectual property principles Anti-Piracy Manager for Microsoft Nigeria, Seye Oloruntoba notes that, “Pirating software is often seen as a ‘cheap’ alternative to purchasing it legally. 

However,in the long-term it can be far more costly, and for businesses, disastrous. It brings in many dangers in the form of malware, spyware, and viruses that can lead to identity theft, loss of data and more.”He added that “By providing an overview of global and country specific attitudes towards piracy, this study validates the work we are doing in the region to educate consumers about what software piracy is and the risks associated with non-genuine software.”