Domestic companies should pay more attention to their software asset management, as US courts have started to file lawsuits against firms that allegedly gained competitive edges by using pirated software during their daily work, Ernst & Young announced Tuesday.

In January, a leading Chinese household textile manufacturer, Ningbo Beyond Home Textile Co, was prosecuted by California attorney general Kamala D. Harris for paying no software licensing fees.

The complaint claimed that the Chinese apparel maker had obvious cost advantages over its foreign rivals who pay such fees, violating California's Unfair Competition Law.

A total of 10 percent decrease in the usage rate of pirated software is likely to bring China $15 billion economic returns within five years.

Xinhua – Global Times