Software piracy costs Massachusetts $850 million

BOSTON (Reuters) - Software piracy cost Massachusetts more than 4,300 jobs and at least $850 million in
lost wages, tax revenue, and retail sales during 1997, said an industry study released today.

The report, released by industry behemoth Microsoft Corp., said a 25 percent rate of piracy cost
Massachusetts $240 million in wages and salaries, $600 million in retail sales and $11 million in taxes.

Software is a $9.2 billion industry in the state, according to the Massachusetts Software Council. 

"These figures demonstrate unequivocally that software piracy is not a victimless crime," said Orlando
Ayala, senior vice president at Microsoft Americas.

Microsoft released the study at its Explorer Conference & Exposition in Boston.