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The Impact of Software Piracy on Inclusive Human Development: Evidence from Africa

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  • Simplice A. Asongu

    (Yaoundé/Cameroon)

  • Antonio R. Andrés

    (Madrid, Spain)

Abstract

This paper examines two dimensions of the software piracy-development nexus to complement existing formal literature. It empirically assesses the incidence of piracy on the Human Development Index (HDI) and its constituents and then the instrumentality of Intellectual Property Right (IPR) treaties (laws) in the linkages. An instrumental variable or Two-stage least squares is applied on panel of 11 African countries with data for the period 2000-2010. Three main findings are established: (1) software piracy has a negative incidence on inequality adjusted human development; (2) the unappealing effect of piracy on the HDI is fuelled by per capita economic prosperity and life expectancy components of human emancipation; (3) software piracy increases literacy. Two major policy implications have been retained from the findings. Firstly, adherence to international IPRs protection treaties (laws) may not impede per capita economic prosperity and could improve life-expectancy. Secondly, adoption of tight IPRs regimes may negatively affect human development by diminishing the literacy rate and restricting diffusion of knowledge.

Suggested Citation

  • Simplice A. Asongu & Antonio R. Andrés, 2014. "The Impact of Software Piracy on Inclusive Human Development: Evidence from Africa," Research Africa Network Working Papers 14/035, Research Africa Network (RAN).
    • Handle: RePEc:abh:wpaper:14/035
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    Cited by:

    1. Simplice A. Asongu, 2017. "Boosting Scientific Publications in Africa: Which IPRs Protection Channels Matter?," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 8(1), pages 197-210, March.
    2. Simplice A. Asongu, 2014. "Software Piracy and Scientific Publications: Knowledge Economy Evidence from Africa," African Development Review, African Development Bank, vol. 26(4), pages 572-583, December.
    3. Simplice A. Asongu, 2017. "A Survey on Inequality-Adjusted Human Development in Africa," Africagrowth Agenda, Africagrowth Institute, vol. 14(1), pages 4-7.
    4. Antonio Andrés & Simplice Asongu & Voxi Amavilah, 2015. "The Impact of Formal Institutions on Knowledge Economy," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 6(4), pages 1034-1062, December.
    5. Simplice A. Asongu & Oasis Kodila-Tedika, 2018. "Determinants of Property Rights Protection in Sub-Saharan Africa," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 9(4), pages 1291-1308, December.
    6. Lizethe Berenice Méndez-Heras. & Francisco Venegas-Martínez. & Diego Emilio Linthon-Delgado., 2021. "El impacto del crédito bancario sobre el desarrollo humano en México: un análisis de datos panel a nivel estatal, 2004-2016. (The Impact of Bank Credit on Human Development in Mexico: A Data Analysis ," Ensayos Revista de Economia, Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon, Facultad de Economia, vol. 0(1), pages 1-28, May.
    7. Tomczyk, Łukasz, 2019. "The Practice of Downloading copyrighted files among adolescents in Poland: Correlations between piracy and other risky and protective behaviours online and offline," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 58(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Software piracy; Human development; Intellectual property rights; Panel data; Instrumental variables;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • K42 - Law and Economics - - Legal Procedure, the Legal System, and Illegal Behavior - - - Illegal Behavior and the Enforcement of Law
    • O34 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Intellectual Property and Intellectual Capital
    • O38 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Government Policy
    • O47 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - Empirical Studies of Economic Growth; Aggregate Productivity; Cross-Country Output Convergence
    • O57 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economywide Country Studies - - - Comparative Studies of Countries

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