Ukraine: Software Piracy Level Decreases in Computer Shops, Increases in Service Centers

According to the results of a recent market research program called Mystery Shopper, regularly performed by Microsoft Ukraine to uncover the outlets offering unlicensed software or personal computers with pre-installed unlicensed software, the percentage of illegal software in computer shops in Ukraine has sharply decreased, from 33 percent in October 2010 to 19 percent in March 2011.

However, the level of pirated software offered by centers providing software installation services has increased from 37 percent in October 2010 to 40 percent in March 2011. According to Yuriy Omelchenko, the head of the department for intellectual property protection at Microsoft Ukraine, software installation service centers have become a well-organized criminal business, making approximately USD 11 million (EUR 7.8 million) per year. Omelchenko warned that the situation has become very serious and that Microsoft Ukraine plans to take stricter measures against the service centers spreading pirated software.

For more information, please contact Maya Kryvoshei at our Ukraine office.

Source: Microsoft Ukraine website