GristyMcFisty used our news submit to tell us that file swapping usage has been declining since March. Back in March before the RIAA began issuing subpoena's, Kazaa had 17.4 million unique U.S. visitors according to Nielsen/NetRatings. In August, this figure fell to 10.4 million and has continued to decline since. This represents a 40% drop in Kazaa usage since spring. It appears that the RIAA are having success in moving consumers off peer-to-peer networks, but does this mean they are off to buy music now?
On Monday, 64 file-swappers who had received a lawsuit have agreed to settlements rather than go to court. An additional 838 file-swappers have admitted to illegal file swapping in writing to the RIAA to and promised to never do it again. Obviously, going after individual users is one major tactic the music industry is using to discourage users from file swapping.
Legal download services are springing up here and there this year and aim to provide a legal alternative to file swapping. iTunes has proven a big success among Macintosh users and likely have more downloads than all the other legal services put together. Musicmatch 8.1 which is due next month aims to provide a PC alternative to the Mac's iTunes service.
At the same time, a number of legal services that charge for downloads are cropping up to fill the void. Though critics decried the record companies as ham-fisted bullies earlier this month for suing 261 people, including a 12-year-old girl, the results appear to be just what the industry wanted. Kazaa usage has fallen 40 percent since the spring, when the Recording Industry Association of America began suing students who ran on-campus file-swapping networks. Kazaa, the most popular file-swapping service, had 17.4 million U.S. unique visitors in March, according to Nielsen//NetRatings, a consulting company that monitors Web traffic. In August, Kazaa users had dropped to 10.4 million, and the numbers are still falling. "I think the RIAA has been very successful in intimidating people from using programs like Kazaa," said Jarvis Mak, analyst at NetRatings. There's more evidence that the tide is turning in the music industry's favor. Legal music services are cropping up in time for the holiday season. Companies that distribute file-swapping software have formed a coalition and taken to Capitol Hill in an effort to build sympathy and support. And the RIAA said Monday that 64 file-swappers have agreed to settlements, rather than go to court to answer charges that they violated copyrights. An additional 838 people have admitted in writing to swapping files and promised not to do it again. |
It is still not clear if the music industry have won their battle yet. Some may be holding off until a more secure method of file swapping is developed or should music prices fall. If many users who do purchase CDs rely on downloads to make their decision, then the RIAA can expect a 40% decline in sales from these customers. Others that have left the file swapping networks may have already found another non-RIAA approved alternative: back to swapping CD-R's and tapes again!
Source: Yahoo Technology News
