The Project’s national survey of 1,421 adult Internet users conducted between January 13 and February 9, 2005 shows that 19% of current music and video downloaders, or about 7 million adults, say they have downloaded files from someone else’s iPod or MP3 player. About 28%, or 10 million people, say they get music and video files via email and instant messages. However, there is some overlap between these two groups; 9% of downloaders say they have used both of these sources. The survey has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percent for results based on internet users.

In all, 48% of current downloaders have used sources other than peer-to-peer networks or paid music and movie services to get music or video files. Beyond MP3 players, email and instant messaging, these alternative sources include music and movie websites, blogs and online review sites.

There are several other highlights in the new Pew Internet Project survey:


49% of all Americans and 53% of internet users believe that the firms that own and operate file-sharing networks should be deemed responsible for the pirating of music and movie files. Some 18% of all Americans think individual file traders should be held responsible and 12% say both companies and individuals should shoulder responsibility.

Almost one in five Americans (18%) say they do not know who should be held responsible or refused to answer the question.


The public is sharply divided on the question of whether government enforcement against music and movie pirates will work, but broadband users strongly believe that a government crackdown will not succeed. Some 38% of all Americans believe that government efforts would reduce file-sharing and 42% believe that government enforcement would not work very well.

Broadband users are more skeptical about government anti-piracy efforts. Some 57% of broadband users believe there is not much the government can do to reduce illegal file-sharing, compared to 32% who believe that enforcement would help control piracy.

Current file downloaders are now more likely to say they use online music services like iTunes than they are to report using p2p services. The percentage of music downloaders who have tried paid services has grown from 24% in 2004 to 43% in our most recent survey. However, respondents may now be less likely to report peer-to-peer usage due to the stigma associated with the networks.


The percentage of internet users who say they download music files has increased from 18% (measured in a February 2004 survey) to 22% in our latest survey from January 2005. Still, this number continues to rest well-below the peak level (32%) that we registered in October 2002.

From http://www.pewinternet.org/PPF/r/153/report_display.asp

"53% of internet users believe that the firms that own and operate file-sharing networks should be deemed responsible for the pirating of music and movie files."

so these people also don't own VCR's because the betamax decision was wrong. and Ford should be held responsible when a terrorist uses thier car for a car bomb or when someone decides to drive on the sidewalk and run down school children. Smith and Wesson should also be held responsible when one of their hunting rifles is used to shoot someone etc...........

Also lets hold the Sharpie company responsible under the DCMA since it was one of their pens that was used to Circumvent a DRM CD

Of course people are moving away from p2p. They are moving to IRC and Usenet which are a much better way to find whatever you are looking for. There are IRC channels where people are sharing more than 100GB worth of mp3s, every NES, SNES, Genesis, or other cartrige game ever made. With Usenet you can request just about any software, mp3, flac (lossless), video game (n64, ps1, ps2, gamecube, xbox), music video, movie, or television show ever made and it will likely be posted within a day. Considering download speeds for IRC and Usenet are much faster than p2p (you are lucky if you get more than 10-20k/sec on p2p) and the selection is so much better, why would anyone bother with p2p networks like Kazaa?

The Pew Internet & American Life Project, a non-profit research group focusing on the Internet, said last week that some 17 million Americans are using not just the Internet but e-mail or other technology -- like their friend's iPods -- to get bootlegged music.

This from article at http://money.cnn.com/2005/03/28/technology/grokster/index.htm?cnn=yes