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Uncategorized Monday, October 15th 2012 at 7:38 pm

Survey Says: Illegal Downloaders Also Purchase More Legal Music Than Those That Don’t Pirate

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The argument has long been that music piracy leads to a massive loss of revenue when accumulated across the millions of songs downloaded illegally. That’s what groups like the RIAA have pushed for years. According to the American Assembly‘s upcoming Copy Culture Survey, however, that’s just not the case. As it turns out, those that pirate in the United States also purchase around 30% more music than those that don’t.

The American Assembly explains:

US P2P users have larger collections than non-P2P users (roughly 37% more). And predictably, most of the difference comes from higher levels of ‘downloading for free’ and ‘copying from friends/family.’

But some of it also comes from significantly higher legal purchases of digital music than their non-P2P using peers–around 30% higher among US P2P users. Our data is quite clear on this point and lines up with numerous other studies: The biggest music pirates are also the biggest spenders on recorded music.

Take that, RIAA.

(The American Assembly via TorrentFreak)

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  • Jack Bond

    For the record, that doesn’t redeem them. Rationalize all you want, but if it’s against the law, it’s a crime.

  • Pernoda

    So…just so we’re clear here…copying a cd and putting it on the Internet for anyone to use free of charge (emphasis on the “no profit making” here) is illegal? Well, golly gee, I better get those dvd copies of The Lawrence Welk Show back from Grandma.

  • What

    Lawful Neutral?

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Bruce-E-Screws-Jr/5200506 Bruce E. Screws Jr.

    Notice that it says “digital music purchases,” not legal music purchases as a whole. There are people who buy physical formats who lack the computer savvy for digital bootlegging.

  • http://twitter.com/#!/Topperfalkon Topperfalkon

    It’s not, actually. At least it’s certainly not in the UK. It’s a civil infringement, not a criminal offence.

  • Dr. Coene

    Blacks marrying whites was also illegal, for a very long time. Mindless subservience to the law is not very American.

    “If a law is unjust, a man is not only right to disobey it, he is obligated to do so.” – Thomas Jefferson

  • Idlethoughts

    That’s debatable…

  • Jack Bond

    Well good luck overthrowing the government, but you’re not getting my support, or the support of anyone with reason.