The cost of illegal software

In my previous post I talk about the damage of suggesting (and imposing) proprietary software in the sector of development.
In Developing countries the illegal software is a common framework.

Let's see what it means in terms of sovereignty and power relation for a state that potentially has huge debts towards a multinational which potentially could tight up and ask the bill.

I quote from a report of mine, concerning the use of OLPC computer extended to farmers.
The report was committed to me by the European Agency for development where I am working.
"Piracy rates of illegal software reached, in Africa and Middle East, the 60% in 2007 (pick above 80% in Ivory Coast, Senegal, Cameroon, Kenya, Zambia, 91% in Zimbabwe)[1] with total losses for software manufacturers of 2,446 million US$, more than doubled respect to 2003 (1,018 million US$). The illegal software is a phenomenon which increases with the growth of ICT opportunities, but that in developing countries represents the working environment itself.

Such losses are so big that if software providers legally would claim for refunds to governments or to a private sector based on illegal software, they likely would affect and threat the sovereignty of a country in development. Business models based on open source could reverse such losses to be productive: free use and possibility of customizing application could turn an asset in ICT in developing countries (see chapter: “Concerns about the software environment, governance and ICT development approaches”)."
[1]

Business Software Alliance, Global Software Piracy Study
Source : http://global.bsa.org/idcglobalstudy2007/studies/summaryfindings_globalstudy07.pdf



Concerning the post:ICT and Sustainability, local and demand driven solutions? BULLOCKS
Do you think that the Agencies for Development is acting with responsibility or at least coherence?