All About Piracy

Piracy in India is an old story, one we’ve been all but desensitized to since the first PCs started showing up in offices and homes. It’s so open, so normal and so habitual that it’s difficult to convince people that there’s something wrong. And even in the last few years, with awareness campaigns and better distribution for legal software, the sheer audacity of the industry is still amazing to see.

Yes, piracy is a flourishing industry. Maybe people still think it happens only on the streets (or Torrent sites) and are unaware of the amount of money that gets siphoned out of regular channels and into black markets. Maybe the authorities still think it’s only a soft crime; an occasional distraction from “real” law and order situations. Good, bad, wrong or right, consciously or not, piracy has gained enough social sanction that even registered DVD duplication units are known to accept orders for producing these knockoff discs.

Surveys published by the Business Software Alliance (BSA), IDG and KPMG point out that piracy is highest in developing nations, and that there is a direct correlation between piracy and malware infections. The monetary value of unlicensed software, i.e. the loss incurred by manufacturers, was pegged at US$ 50.2 billion for the year 2008. Pirated software even outstrips free software, since the cost advantage is negated. And while India isn’t one of the top 25 offenders, losses are mounting enough that manufacturers and distributors are finding it tough to do business.

For the end consumer, on the other hand, it’s a bonanza. A pirated version of Windows Vista Ultimate comes for Rs 60 today, as opposed to Rs 4,900 for a legal copy of Home Basic. And Windows 7 has been available on the streets long before it's launch last week. Who wouldn’t give it a try? And who wouldn’t buy five of the latest movies for Rs 100 on the roadside, to watch at peace on their computers at night? Who wouldn’t want to stop at a corner stall where a vendor with a cheap laptop will fill their phones with all the current Bollywood soundtrack hits for Rs 150? They can get a few fresh gigabytes’ worth every month.

Maybe without piracy, we wouldn’t watch as many movies, read as many books or use as much high-end software as they now do. Maybe we wouldn’t even grow or learn without it—how many of us can say our first computers used a licensed OS (or how many of us even knew there was such a distinction)? Most likely, we’d all be quite lost and upset if all access to pirated material was suddenly blocked. We’re at the pirate party already, and we don’t even think it’s a problem.