BSA's Latest Piracy Claims 'Shockingly Misleading,' Says Geist

An anonymous reader writes "This week the Business Software Alliance published a new study which purports to estimate the economic gain from a ten percent reduction in piracy of business software. For Canada, the BSA claims that the reduction would create over 6,000 new jobs and generate billions in GDP and tax revenue. But Michael Geist says the BSA claims are based on nothing more than the economic gains from a ten percent increase in proprietary software spending. The BSA now admits its estimate is based on the presumption that every dollar 'saved' by using unlicensed software would now be spent on proprietary software." Glyn Moody pointed out more flaws in the BSA's report.

Re:The Business Glass Alliance Announces

[Anonymous Coward]

I ran the numbers and if the members of the BSA gave a Canadian 10 billion dollars:

- Canada's GDP would go up by billions of dollars
- Nearly 5 billion dollars would go to taxes
- The lucky guy or gal could spend 3 billion dollars to hire 6,000 people at an average of $50,000 a year for 10 years to build a monument of themselves.
- The lucky person would have 2 billion dollars left to spend

The choice is clear.

Re:Econ 101

[sabt-pestnu]

So what you're saying is that virtual dollars are constantly being created and destroyed in Economic Space? Forming the basis for a theory of Economic Vacuum Energy [wikimedia.org]? Which itself is a part of Quantum Economics?

Re:BSA is biased anyway

[Ksevio]

Generally, the illicit nature of counterfeiting and piracy makes estimating the economic impact of IP infringements extremely difficult, so assumptions must be used to offset the lack of data.

Well in this case it would be "making an ass of u and mptions"

Re:The Business Glass Alliance Announces

[Chrutil]

Despite my efforts, my hole had no value. In fact, it had negitave value, as the city came in one day to fill it

Au contraire!
It sounds like you digging a hole like that created more work for the city who had to fill it in.
So if everybody did that, lots of jobs would have to be created to fill them in.

another corporation caught lying ...oh my goodness

[fkx]

another corporation caught lying ...oh my goodness.

let the bailouts begin anew.

Seriously, does anyone still believe anything self serving corporations say anymore?

It ought to be a reality show theme.

Re:Zero sum

[Belial6]

So, every dollar spent on software is a dollar that could have otherwise been spent on life saving surgeries for children?!?!?! If I understand the BSA's logic correctly, that would mean that the BSA is murdering thousands of children a year!!!! Won't someone think of the children????

Re:The Business Glass Alliance Announces

[Anonymous Coward]

"Opposite side of the coin is that if someone comes along and starts using your hole, you'd reasonably expect to get paid for it, just like anyone else workin' the street."

Wait ... so software piracy is like prositution? I'm confused.

Re:The Business Glass Alliance Announces

[idontgno]

Up Next: BSA claims that Open Source is the same as piracy. All software must be licensed, and those licenses must be purchased from member companies of the BSA.

From the same mindset that brought you "Skipping commercials is theft"

Re:The Business Glass Alliance Announces

[eshbums]

You aren't going to get money from nothing unless you're the Federal Reserve®

Or Dire Straits.

Re:The Business Glass Alliance Announces

[radarsat1]

Well if the night swimmers become numerous enough to require a drink bar...

Where is this place? I want to hang out there.

Re:Self serving study results.

[SleazyRidr]

I could make a nice soup out of yesterday's chicken carcass. You can ditch the 'study' but leave me the carcass.

Pirating does not confer value

[DinDaddy]

If you say different, you have declared Uwe Bolle's movies to have a non-negative value, which is plainly false.

Re:The Business Glass Alliance Announces

[Noitatsidem]

For every 10% increase in tornadoes over 6,000 new jobs would be created and billions in GDP and tax revenue would be generated.