British Chambers of Commerce senior policy adviser, Kevin Hoctor, said piracy threatens the digital community jobs and revenue.

"To realise the Government's Digital Britain ambition, our digital and communications industries must have the protection they need in terms of copyright and piracy," said Hoctor. "In the current economic climate the impact effective enforcement could have on employment and revenue should not be ignored".

The BSA took the opportunity to issue recommendations for the UK government, such as developing strong enforcement mechanisms and tougher anti-piracy laws.

Other recommendations included dedicating significant resources to the problem, including national IP enforcement units, cross-border cooperation, and training for local officers and judiciary officials.

Finally, the government could lead by example by implementing software management policies and requiring the public sector to use only legitimate software.