6 States Notorious For Software Piracy

According to a new report released by anti-piracy organization Business Software Alliance, only six states were responsible for nearly half of all software piracy incidents reported in the United States in 2010.

"On the one hand, it is not surprising that the six states where we are seeing the most corporate software piracy are all among the largest in the country," Jodie Kelley, BSA's Vice President of Anti-Piracy and General Counsel, told Betanews. "But the trend underscores how prevalent these harmful copyright violations are throughout the US economy."

Which states were the biggest offenders?

BSA pointed a finger at California, Texas, Florida, New York, Illinois and Michigan. As much as 49.3 percent of unlicensed software is believed to have originated in these states.

The Atlantic notes that five of these states have topped BSA's reports since 2007. Michigan, however, was a new addition in 2010.

And who is using this unlicensed software?

"Manufacturers and distributors last year were more frequently alleged to be using unlicensed software than were other types of companies. Together, those sectors accounted for 21 percent of the tips BSA received," according to a statement released by BSA.