Software piracy cost technology companies more than US$50 billion ($68.8 billion) around the world last year, with Asia accounting for the largest share of losses, an industry report said Tuesday, reported AFP.

Global losses due to software piracy reached US$51.4 billion in 2009, with US$16.5 billion of this in the Asia-Pacific region, said the annual report by the Business Software Alliance, which has a base in Singapore.