NEWS Despite the heavy-handed tactics of the major record labels illegal music downloading could be making a comeback, according to market researchers who note a surge in the use of peer-to-peer services.
The NPD Group, an independent market research firm, reported on Friday that peer-to-peer usage was up 14 per cent in November 2003 from September. This upturn comes after six straight months of declines in digital file sharing. Usage dropped dramatically starting in April 2003, when the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) began its well-publicised campaign of threatening individual file sharers with legal action.
Russ Crupnick, vice president of NPD, said in a statement: "It's important to keep in mind that file sharing is occurring less frequently than before the RIAA began its legal efforts to stem the tide of file sharing. We're just seeing the first increase in these numbers. NPD will continue to monitor whether it's a temporary seasonal blip or a trend that suggests that the industry should be more aggressive in capping the use of illegal methods to acquire digital music."
The RIAA has launched more than 300 lawsuits since it started its campaign against file swapping. Officials for the organisation have been optimistic about its success, pointing to polls that suggest that people are more aware of the risks involved in the practice.
But data from research firms like NPD throws more cold water on the music industry's claims that its lawsuits are working to actually deter people from illegally downloading music files.
Even though overall usage of peer-to-peer services has declined by almost half since April 2003, earlier studies by NPD and others also suggested that large numbers of people have still been illegally downloading music files.
Marguerite Reardon writes for News.com
Comments
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1. Beth
I think that we should be able to download music from the internet. Some of us students don't have money to blow on cd's so does that mean we should be able to listen to music? And also, don't the stars have enough money. If you ask me it's about greed.
2. anonymous
The majority of my p2p use is trying to find music from deleted soundtracks, tracks from obscure international acts that my local music store has trouble importing (9 months and counting on one particular European cd!) and video files such as interviews or specials that people have recorded from international tv and digitised, that I am unable to watch locally, and therefore not at all. I would much prefer to purchase my elusive soundtracks and international cds, and watch those specials on my local tv network, but the fact is that I can't - because the music companies and tv networks don't consider what I want to watch and listen to important enough to provide copies of. They would rather I buy the latest Britney Spears cd and watch their silly new reality programs so that they don't have to cater for an extended audience.
3. Carl Maycock
P2P sharing will only stop when it's illegal to share files over a network. ie:NEVER. The music industry has been trying to manufacture a predicatable market for years by force feeding the public fast food equivalent music.This suits them because they can control their revenues better.All the bands that support the actions taken by the music industry would soon rebel once the industry exec's decide that their music needs to sound more 'friendly'!
There are plenty of artists out there with their own music that you can sample, download or purchase online.If we consentrated and supported more pure music created by pure artists not bound by the industry
then perhaps we can side step the whole ridiculous argument! Let's see how much clout the industry would have without the purchasing power of the people they are ripping off!
4. boycott the riaa
what about Fair use ? If I pay 18.99 for a cd I should be able to do whatever I like with it Share it,copy it, or give it to anyone I please. I paid for that right....