A recent survey released by IDC shows that in 2005 software piracy on the Chinese mainland dropped by 4% from 2004.

Robert Holleyman, head of the Business Software Alliance (BSA), says that 2005 is the second year that Chinese mainland's piracy has been on the decline, which is of great importance considering the huge software market in China.

The survey shows that software piracy in Hong Kong increased from 52% to 54% last year.

The survey was initiated by BSA, which is composed of leading software manufacturers in the world, and conducted by IDC.