While in international terms computer piracy in Latvia was 56% for five years, it is easily to guess how much a software would cost if more 56% bought it – it would cost more than a half cheaper, authorized representative of the international association of software manufacturers Business Software Alliance (BSA) Ingrida Veiksa said.

Ingrida Veiksa

“It is like a tree with two ends – the bigger is the turnover, the lower is the expenditure. But if more than half of computer software are taken for free, the amount on money, which manufacturers need to earn in order to recover their expenditure and invest in new software, has to be distributed among the remaining honest buyers,” Veiksa explained.

Sound recording studios tell the same thing – they can count on a thousand recordings to be sold, and the remaining to be copied. But studios have to recover their investments, too.

The latest data of the survey in 2011 show positive tendencies, that is, computer software piracy in Latvia decreased last year by two per cent to 54%. Veiksa thinks it is not little. “Each road starts with the first step,” the BSA representative said.

She mentioned a range of negative consequences which can be caused by use of illegal software. “Of course, also private persons can not take everything what is not tied up without a permission , but things what private persons do at home improving a dog’s picture with an illegal software does not cause permanent consequences for the economy. Permanent and dangerous consequences are caused if, for example, companies using illegal software can offer lower price at a public tender,” Veiksa said.

She also pointed out that piracy is not a problem only in, for example, USA. It is a big problem also for Latvian manufacturers. Sometimes when a group of youngsters talk among themselves about illegal software, they wonder why should they worry about rich American companies. “However, we should remember that not only American millionaires, but also our companies produce software. And second, we should remember that also the American software, which is illegally downloaded, mutilate the market as it provides advantages to dishonest companies,” Veiksa emphasized.

She added that using illegal songs, films, music, pictures, software we rob our future generations. “If we destroy an opportunity for creative people to live on their work they will have to do something else, create less intellectual property, and our children and grandchildren will have less to watch and listen to.”

Ref: 102.110.110.909