New research has found that 75% of those who currently download music illegally would cease to do so if they were threatened by their ISP. 1500 people were questioned by Entertainment Media Research for the survey, which looked into the public’s attitudes to music consumption online, and social networking.
According to the survey, when people were contacted by their ISP to tell them that the music industry was aware of their piratical antics, they showed a willingness to stop. "It is quite evident that an ISP-led strategy has bite, because illegal downloaders are fairly convinced that ISPs are currently monitoring their activities and are more likely to act against them than the courts," said Entertainment Media Research CEO Russell Hart. 61% of illegal downloaders said that they thought they were probably being monitored by their ISPs.
Meanwhile, illegal and legal downloading is still divided by age. 13 to 17-year-olds are the most virulent pirates, while the older generations are increasingly using legal download sources. 40% of those over 35 said they purchased a download every month.
The research also found that video is an increasingly popular element to music consumption online, with YouTube now preferred over mySpace.
