Cutting software piracy can boost economies and create jobs.

Countries in Western Europe could create a million jobs and boost the value of their technology sectors by £250 billion if they cut piracy rates by ten points by 2006, claims a study.

The research, carried out for the BSA anti-piracy group, revealed that piracy is stunting the growth of software firms worldwide.

The BSA (Business Software Alliance) estimates that almost 40% of all software being used around the world is pirated.

The research looked at the effects of piracy in countries that together account for 98% of the world's technology economy.

The study was drawn up by analyst firm IDC and found that countries enforcing anti-piracy laws tend to have larger and more creative technology sectors.

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BBC Technology News