This AP news via Myway.com says the majority of Internet users who download music couldn't care less about copyright laws. According to a survey published Thursday by the non-profit Pew Internet and American Life Project They figure that roughly 35 million American adults are file swapping, this is nearly 29 percent of Internet users.
"Our data shows significant numbers didn't care about copyrights," said Lee Rainie, the director for the Washington-based Pew project. "The (threatened) lawsuits maybe have gotten their attention." The survey said younger Americans, ages 18 to 29, were least worried about copyrights, with 72 percent saying they weren't concerned. It said 61 percent of Americans who were 30 to 49 years old were similarly unconcerned. Full-time students were the least concerned with violating copyright, with 82 percent saying they were not worried. Pew researchers said differences between men and women, blacks, whites and Hispanics and between income groups were not statistically significant when measuring copyright concerns. The RIAA, the trade group for the major recording labels, said the Pew study was outdated, adding that it believes its enforcement efforts have affected attitudes toward downloading music. "We believe that the most powerful deterrent is the message that uploading or downloading copyrighted works without permission is against the law," the RIAA said in a statement. "We have worked hard to educate the public about what the law says and potential consequences, and other studies have shown that that message is beginning to take hold and will serve as an effective deterrent." |
On the other hand, Senator Norm Coleman R-Minn chairman of the Senate's permanent subcommittee on investigations, began an inquiry Thursday into the industry's crackdown against music swappers, calling the campaign "excessive."
"Theft is theft, but in this country we don't cut off your arm or fingers for stealing," said Sen. Coleman, who was a rock roadie during the 1960s.
Give 'em hell Norm. You can read the rest of the story here.
Source: myway.com/
