The number of internet users who illegally download films and TV series has tripled over the past year.

An estimated 1.67 million people download illegal film or TV files, compared to 570,000 last year, the British Video Association (BVA) found.

The loss to the British video industry was calculated to be £45m in DVD sales alone during 2003.

BVA director general Lavinia Carey said the potential threat to the industry was "clearly enormous".

The findings were based on a survey of 16,000 people aged between 12 and 74.

Quality

Movies and TV series illegally downloaded last year included Kill Bill: Volume 1, The Sopranos and BBC's The Office.

TNS, which conducted the survey, said: "With downloading growing at such an enormous rate the industry cannot afford to be complacent."

But it added: "There are several factors that reduce the impact on the retail market - quality issues being the major one."

This referred to the fact that many considered illegally downloaded films to be of poor quality when compared to legal DVDs or television broadcasts.

Many also felt it took too long for films to download via the internet, but the growth in use of broadband - which offers faster internet connections - is changing that.

The average film or TV downloader was identified as under 35 years old and male.

He is most likely to live in the south of England, where broadband is more widely available, and to download an average of 30 films or TV episodes per year.

Ms Carey said: "The film, TV and video industries are working closely to pre-empt the threat from online piracy.

"As long as we can continue to make our traditional product attractive and future online offers affordable and easy, we hope to avoid the worst of the damage."

The BVA also reported a 61% increase in DVD sales in 2003, the format now representing 70% of the total video market.

Total sales across the video industry rose from £2.05bn in 2002 to £2.42bn last year.

Article at:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/3692999.stm

oh my goodness...

Ms Carey needs to define what "online piracy" is...since she didn't call it copyight infringement...guess they are not claiming copyright infringement.

They do in fact HAVE copyright laws in England..
Thus, Ms. Carey must be woefully uninformed on copyright law in her country,
or she is just lying...

Explain to me how the act of downloading something is 'illegal'

...or did I wake up in a NON free society.

Shmoo, of Electric Gypsy
Support Local and Independent Music!

(what is really SCARY is that maybe I did!)

"The BVA also reported a 61% increase in DVD sales in 2003"
What damage? Why complain?
There is now more interest in purchasing DVD's. Sales are up. Free advertising online.

Yeah, because like the people say, DVD is of higher quality.

Two years ago, I downloaded two episodes of "Mystery Science Theater 3000" This is perfectly legal, especially considering the credits of the show encourage viewers to make copies and spread them around. The quality was a tad on the mediocre side, considering it came off of a tape that had probably been copied from another tape. But it was still watchable. Took forever to download, even on DSL considering one show is around 92 minutes minus commercials. And you know what, I still buy the MST3K DVDs when I can.

And I don't know about Britain, but here it's not illegal to have a copy of a TV show. That's "time-shifting" which the Supreme Court says is perfectly legal.

Gee, NiceGuy, the other day on C-Span, the panel was told that a movie could be downloaded in about 6 seconds, I think.
I think Joe Pitts and others bought it.
I've got to watch that hearing again.

This 5 sec download (Hack Valenti) and 6 second download of a DVD quality movie is the new lie (add it to the "piracy" deal).

They are trying to present this as a new standard...
I wish someone would confront them on how many people in the USA have
GIGABIT transfer rate.

They don't give a crap about the truth anymore...it's just Josef Goebbels BIG LIE all over again...just say it loud and long...over and over...

wonder how much longer they can keep their stories straight...

The gap between their teeth is getting so wide that Indiana Jones could prolly have a field day swinging all day.

(The critic above is protected by the Fair Use Doctrine.)

"As long as we can continue to make our traditional product attractive and future online offers affordable and easy, we hope to avoid the worst of the damage."

Talk about burying your head in the sand.

Only today some colleagues showed me DVD's purchased at a market stall for 4 UK pounds each, thats about a third of the retail price, downloading my or may not be illegal but selling it for profit is another story. Still I guess they will make up for it by sueing the downloaders, if its 7,500 USD for a song I wonder what it is for a movie ?

"And I don't know about Britain, but here it's not illegal to have a copy of a TV show. That's "time-shifting" which the Supreme Court says is perfectly legal."

Yep its perfectly legal. The BBC are actually putting their entire archive online for free UK download.

However, the content is not available worldwide - try accessing http://www.bbc.co.uk/broadband outside the UK. (Since people in the UK have a *right* to the content as its from our taxes that it is funded, where as distribution abroad will be subscription/pay based).


It is also possible to use the streaming radio service to hear past radio shows completely free.

As for the foreign subscription - for quality like The Office, I think the price of the DVD/Sub is worth it and as such I own the DVD! Its only the big blockbusters that are so hyped I can't tell good films from bad that I try before I buy, usually through rental.

I have never bought a film that I didn't like because of this method, yet I have spent lots of money on DVDs.