The Pew Internet and American Life Project study, released on Thursday, found that 67 percent of US Internet file swappers are indifferent to copyright concerns, a jump from 61 percent of respondents in a survey taken in the summer of 2000. The survey, of 2,515 adults in the United States, took place from March through May -- just a few months before the recording industry began gathering evidence to sue individual file swappers.
"The struggle to enforce copyright laws in the digital age continues to be an uphill battle for content owners," researchers wrote in the report.
In an effort to regain control of the distribution of copyrighted music, the Recording Industry Association of America in June warned that it would send subpoenas to Internet service providers, asking them to identify alleged song swappers so it could sue them. So far, the industry group has issued hundreds of subpoenas, ensnaring people from all walks of life.
The Pew study also looked at demographics, finding that income and ethnicity often correlated to file swapping. According to the report, people from lower-income households are more likely to download files online. About 38 percent of American Internet users with an annual household income below $30,000 (£18,650) downloaded files, compared with 26 percent of those with an income above $75,000.
The study found that wired members of certain ethnic groups were more likely to download music.
"African-Americans and Hispanics are also more devoted downloaders than their white counterparts," wrote researchers, who found that 37 percent of online African-Americans and 35 percent of online Hispanics said they had downloaded music, compared with 28 percent of whites.
Students are very likely to download, the survey found, with about 56 percent saying they've downloaded songs. Those who've obtained a college degree were reported as being the most concerned about copyright laws.
Talkback
In a ever widening response to the latest outrage against civil liberties by RIAA and its subsidiary the US Congress, we have ceased buying the CD's they accuse us of not buying (we refuse to "FEED THE SHARK") we are also noting the brand name products, most notably Disney and Sony, and refuse to pay to see their movies or to buy their retail produts. Certainly we would never buy a Sony CD ROM much less any Sony MP3 device.
It is not surprising to those of us in the US, that the music and movie industry would undertake to file lawsuits agains their customers, no other group of individuals have the egos matched with the lack of minimal intellegence as are represented by the RIAA.
It is far from surprising as well, that the US Congress and the current President and his staff serve that industry so well, it is just another version of the Enron, Ken Lay services performed by officials of both political parties. Over a year since the Enron scandal broke, yet no charges or hint that there ever will be charges have been filed against the Chairman of Enron and the chief benefactor of its innumerable scams.
It is hilarious that the US is trying to export, "Democracy" to the middle east, since that sport has not been practiced here in decades.
Your civil liberties are being violated? The movie and music industries are filing lawsuits against their customers?
I own a bakery. Every day for the last month you have come in, picked up donuts, eaten them, and then left without paying. (Or you have simply left with the donuts without paying.) I report what you've done to the police. The police take no action to stop you. I then sue you or take some other action in response to what you've done. You accuse me of violating your civil liberties and say that I am filing lawsuits against my customers.
Walking into my bakery does not make you a customer. Eating my donuts does not make you a customer. Leaving with my donuts does not make you a customer. What makes you a customer is your paying me for the donuts you eat or take out of my bakery. Your taking my property without paying me for it makes you a thief, no more no less.
You're going to punish me by taking your "business" elsewhere? Please do.
The RIAA's actions would be unnecessary if the copyright laws of the United States were being enforced by those whose duty it is to enforce them. I fail to understand why the Congress does not hold hearings to find out why the Executive Branch is failing to enforce these important laws. Oh, that's right. Votes.
I have the best donuts in town. But you think they are too expensive, that I make too big a profit margin selling them. They're so good they're irrestible. You don't have enough money to buy them (or you prefer to spend what money you do have on illegal drugs and you know better than to steal from drug dealers). It's my fault for making them so good. You have to have them. So you steal them.
Ever buy a ticket to a movie or do you just sneak in?