06/03/2008

According to a new survey, seven out of 10 pirates illegally downloading content will stop if warned by their Internet Service Provider (ISP). The 2008 Digital Entertainment Survey, an independent online survey and audit of digital entertainment activity in the UK, was commissioned by media lawyers Wiggin, executed by Entertainment Media Research and surveyed 1608 UK consumers aged 15-54.

The most heartening news for the film industry from the survey are these key findings:

70% of those pirating digital content said they would stop downloading unauthorised content if they received an email or call from their ISP – the figure rising to 78% of male and 75% of female teens;

66% would stop downloading completely if they felt there was a higher chance of being caught; and

62% said they are concerned about stories of prosecution in the news.

Alexander Ross, Music and Technology Partner at Wiggin, said, “These findings are encouraging for content owners and demonstrate that the Government’s proposals to compel ISPs to take measures to control illegal filesharing could have a huge impact when implemented.”

Russell Hart, Chief Executive of Entertainment Media Research, commented, “Fear of being caught is a strong theoretical deterrent but most pirates believe it’s unlikely they will be prosecuted. If pirates themselves say that a direct warning from their ISP is the most effective measure then this reinforces current thinking to combat piracy with an ISP strategy.”

The survey also predicted that, following the resolution of the format war with HD DVD, watching movies on Blu-ray disks would be the highest growth digital entertainment activity in 2008, with 24% of respondents planning to switch to the format in the next six months.