Aussies ‘tempted’ by pirated software

A national Newspoll survey of 700 people commissioned by a coalition of industry bodies found 64 per cent of consumers were tempted by the offer of pirated material.

However, the impact of piracy on Aussie jobs and the personal risks involved in obtaining illegal kit made them less likely to go down that path, the poll found.

Almost 80 per cent of respondents claimed that knowing they could be harming Australian businesses and jobs would make them less likely to support piracy.

More than two thirds said knowing they could incur a fine or conviction would make them less likely to buy counterfeit goods, while around the same number said that knowing the product is of inferior quality would make them less likely to obtain a pirated product.

The industry bodies that commissioned the poll said that a reduction in piracy by 10 per cent over the next four years would generate an estimated 3,929 more jobs in Australia's software industry.

The bodies included the Business Software Alliance (BSA), the Interactive Entertainment Association of Australia (IEAA) and the Australian Toy Association.

The poll found respondents aged 18-34 years were significantly more likely to be tempted to buy pirated goods than those aged 50 years and over.