China software piracy caused $20bn loss in 2010, survey says

China’s software piracy rate declined from 14% to 12% in 2010 compared to a year earlier, according to a survey by internet research firm Chinalabs, state media reported. However, the report, commissioned by the State Intellectual Property Office, showed that the value of illegitimate software increased by 1.55% to US$20.1 billion last year. Piracy-related losses accounted for 9% of the Chinese software market in 2010, down from 12% in 2009. The report said the decline in the piracy rate was due to government campaigns and large companies promoting the use of legitimate software. Chinalabs surveyed more than 4,800 individual and corporate respondents across the country.