Despite their bad reputation peer (P2P) networks are less of a enabler for digital pirates than CD burners on home PCs, a survey has claimed.  

"The growth came in ripping, burning and paid downloads," said the authors of the report 'Hitting the mark; Spotlight on Consumers' from NPD Group.

When it came to replacing lost CDs, the research found that 64 per cent of those questioned wouldn¹t burn a new copy but would burn it from a friend who had one. Only 12 per cent would turn to P2P to replace their music.

The research also revealed a slow growth in the number of households using P2P since 2004, suggesting the recent legal campaigns by the RIAA and BPI have failed to scare people off such systems.

The figures, based on a survey of US consumers, showed that last year only 16 per cent of users illegally downloaded songs from P2P networks, compared to nearly 30 per cent of people who burned or ripped a shop-bought CD. Overall, bought CDs accounted for only 51 per cent of music acquired during the first six months of 2005, with an additional four per cent paying for music downloads.