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64% Of P2P Pirates Would Quit With ISP Warning
Of course 36% wouldn't...

Part of the RIAA's new plan to make ISPs piracy babysitters involved terminating user connections should they repeatedly trade in pirated files. But behind the program is the entertainment industry's belief that a simple warning to users will do plenty in stemming the tide of piracy. While piracy has continued to grow despite legal suits and users receiving DMCA letters for years, there's several ISPs, like AT&T, who have also supported this idea.

A recent study (pdf) by Entertainment Media Research claimed that 72% of file sharers would stop file sharing -- if simply sent a letter by their ISP threatening to cut them off the internet. A new study this week of 1,300 US, UK and French music listeners showed that 64% of P2P users would quit if warned by their ISP that what they were doing was illegal. Obviously, the incentive to stop was greater when backed up by disconnection.

The problem the entertainment industry may face is that not all ISPs say they'll be signing on to their plan. ISPs like Verizon, who say they're not participating in this new warning and disconnection system, will quietly make piracy on their network a perk for users -- one they won't even need to advertise. The only way the entertainment industry could avoid this is by lobbying this system into law -- something they're certainly aiming for.

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Camelot One
MVM
join:2001-11-21
Bloomington, IN

2 recommendations

Camelot One

MVM

Another fact twisting "study" from the RIAA

This "study" doesn't show that 64% of people downloading pirated material would stop if they received a letter from their ISP threatening to cut off their service.

This "study" shows that when receiving a cold call from an unknown source, asking if they would continue "breaking the law" even after their ISP threatened to cut off their internet service for doing so, only 36% were honest enough to say they would keep doing it.