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Software Piracy Rate Down In Romania, Constant In EU, Rising Worldwide

The rate of software piracy in Romania has dropped in the last two years, remained constant in Europe and is rising worldwide, according to data made public Tuesday by the Romanian Police Department, Business Software Alliance (BSA) and the General Prosecutor's Office.
Software Piracy Rate Down In Romania, Constant In EU, Rising Worldwide
Florin Badescu
02 nov. 2010, 14:37, English

BSA attorney Magda Popescu told a news conference that software piracy in Romania has been on constant decline since 2008. In 2008, the piracy rate was 66%, in 2009 it was 65% and this trend will continue in 2010. On the other hand, in the European Union the rate has remained constant, while worldwide it is on the rise.

According to Popescu, Romania’s good record owes mainly to the authorities’ ability to carry out coordinated, efficient action. She said the Police Department and prosecutors have sent, in recent years, a message to software pirates – that no one is „untouchable.”

Chief commissioner Dan Bucur, head of the Fraud Investigation Department with the Romanian Police, said anti-fraud officers carried out 365 controls in 2010, investigating 777 people. The controls revealed 500 crimes, which had caused around EUR2 million in damages to BSA. A criminal investigation was opened in 352 cases and requests for legal action were made for 51.

Prosecutor Monica Pop said in the same conference that prosecutors drew up 58 indictments in the first three quarters, while 72 criminal cases have been closed, some by agreement between copyright owners and offenders. She also said Romanian courts made 28 rulings, mainly consisting of fines or suspended prison sentences. Prosecutors said software piracy caused damages worth 9.8 million lei (EUR1=RON4.2848), more than EUR2 million and $20,000.