More than one-third of business software used by companies around the world is pirated.

According to figures released by the Business Software Alliance 35% of the programs used by firms is illegal- a figure unchanged since 2003.

Despite this, the piracy watchdog said some nations, such as China, had made big inroads into the amount of illegal software companies were using.

The BSA said governments had to do more to get firms using licenced software.

Tax break

The static rates of piracy in the US (22%) and Western Europe (36%) stood in stark contrast to the declining rates in other countries, said Julie Strawson, vice-chair of the BSA in the UK.

In only three years, she said, piracy rates in China had declined from 92% to 82%.

source:http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6654033.stm