Europe is rife with game software piracy according to the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), which the industry group claims is the single greatest threat to innovation, artistic commitment and technological advancement in games.
The ESA filed a report with a US trade representative to outline the major problem posed by game piracy in Western Europe.
The group claims that thirteen different titles were downloaded 6.4 million times — two of those games making up an astounding 4.7 million of those downloads
Single greatest threat to innovation
"Piracy is the single greatest threat to the innovation, artistic commitment and technological advancements enjoyed by millions of consumers worldwide," according to the head of the ESA Michael Gallagher. "Piracy is a job-killer that the world economy cannot afford in these difficult economic times.
"Countries that skirt obligations to combat piracy need to understand the unacceptable damage they are facilitating —and those countries that invest in protecting intellectual property rights and ensure that piracy is not tolerated at any level should be lauded."
Read the full report filed by the International Intellectual Property Alliance which outlines the state of piracy throughout the western World. It is a sobering read.
Italy, Spain, France Germany and Poland are the biggest offenders in Europe.
