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Calling BS On the BSA Global Piracy Report

Posted by Soulskill on from the i-think-that-stands-for-bachelor-of-skepticism dept.

An anonymous reader writes "The Business Software Alliance released their annual global piracy report earlier this week. In addition to the usual claims of software piracy (PDF) and the grudging acknowledgment of open source software, Michael Geist noted that the report ultimately undermined one of the BSA's core arguments — that countries which enact DMCA-style legislation experience significantly reduced piracy rates. Questions have also been raised over the BSA's methodology, as has happened in the past."

4 of 138 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Had to laugh at ... by FooAtWFU · · Score: 3, Informative

    Businesses commonly make territory designations (for sales or distribution purposes) that do things like lump "Australia" in with "Asia". It often makes a lot more sense to base things off of "physical proximity" or "economic interconnectedness" (or maybe even "cultural similarity", though that's not the case here) than basing everything off of plate tectonics.

    --
    The World Wide Web is dying. Soon, we shall have only the Internet.
  2. BSA Methodology: Make it up as you go along... by Jens+Bergqvist · · Score: 5, Informative

    Earlier in the week BSA representatives here in Sweden all but admitted that the figures for Sweden were made up.
    http://www.idg.se/2.1085/1.229795/bsa-hoftade-sverigesiffror (sorry, link in Swedish only)
    They used a combination of general estimates and figures for other countries. No Swedish businesses were involved in the study at all...

  3. Re:In other news... by almechist · · Score: 2, Informative

    • 5 out of 10 RIAA employees snort crack.

    You do know that crack, being insoluble, can't be snorted? Of course you did! How silly of me, delivering a product by the most inefficient means possible is an riaa specialty. I have to say, it's good to see they live their personal lives by the same rules they want to foist off on the rest of us.

  4. Re:Another pro-piracy article on Slashdot by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

    Ehhh, don't feel to lonely. I used to work construction. I also used to drive a truck. Canadians and Mexicans both are taking over the trucking industry, the Mexicans took over the construction en masse. I couldn't BUY a job in either field today. Know what? There are no laws to protect me, or the tens of thousands of other people like me. I LIKE working with my hands, making wood, concrete, and iron take shape. That's a thing of the past. With the economy in the shape it's in, even the Mexicans aren't finding any work at subsistence wages.

    Remind me to feel sorry for the guy who washes dishes 3 or 4 days a week, then plays with a band on the weekends.