File sharers ignore RIAA jail threats

Over two-thirds of internet surfers sharing files over peer-to-peer (P2P) networks are unconcerned about the Recording Industry Association of America's (RIAA) threat of jail for copyright infringements, recent research has revealed.

Internet research trust the Pew Internet & American Life Project found from surveys it fielded between March and May of 2003 that a striking 67 per cent of music downloaders were not concerned whether the music they download is copyrighted.

A little over a quarter of users - 27 per cent - said they did care, while six per cent said they did not have an opinion or know enough about the issue.

"Americans' attitude towards copyrighted material online has remained dismissive, even amid a torrent of media coverage and legal cases aimed at educating the public about the threat file sharing poses to the intellectual property industries," the report stated.

"Some consumers have also been quoted as saying that the prices of CDs and DVDs are too high with too little profit going to the artists, while others say the music they want simply isn't available offline because it is out of print or otherwise hard to find.

"Still others say that they are entitled to make 'fair use' of the music they purchase by sharing it with friends over these networks."

The group added that the number of downloaders who expressed no concern about copyright has increased since July and August of 2000, when the figure was 61 per cent.

The report said: "Young adults are the least likely to express concern about the copyrights of the files they share with others, with 82 per cent of file sharers aged 18 to 29 saying they don't care much about the copyright status of the files they share.

"Those aged 30 to 64 are more likely to express concern about copyrights, with about two in five file sharers in those age groups saying as much.

"Nevertheless, in each age group a plurality, if not an outright majority, of each group say that they are unconcerned about the copyright of the files they share online."