Arrr, Ye Maties (cont)

Hah, like I said a few weeks back, the BSA report was seriously flawed. The strange logic has been picked up by the Economist in this article: Dodgy Software Piracy Data (it was originally known as "BSA or just BS?; Software piracy", but I guess the Economist had since toned it down).

And there was a comment by someone from the BSA in London as well. Actually I wouldnt bet it's the real "Beth Scott" who commented, because the complaint is too ironic to be true:

SIR – Your article on software piracy was extreme, misleading and irresponsible (“BSA or just BS?”, May 21st). The headline was particularly offensive. The implication that an industry would purposely inflate the rate of piracy and its impact to suit its political aims is ridiculous. The problem is real and needs no exaggeration.

Beth Scott
Business Software Alliance
London

Anyway, Jason Shultz of Corante commented: The Economist Rails on Flawed BSA Piracy StudyEmail This Entry and all the feedback suggests that common sense is alive and well, when it comes to reports like this.

Everyone has problems with BSA's flawed methodology / maths of deriving the amount of piracy.

ah...

[Update - 20th June]

Found these great cartoons from userfriendly: