There is nothing which can better deserve your patronage than the promotion of science and literature. Knowledge is, in every country, the surest basis of public happiness. -George WashingtonIntellectual Property Institute - University of Richmond




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File-Sharing Survey

According to the IP Institute's March 2006 survey of college students, more than one-third (34%) of college students are illegally downloading music from free peer-to-peer file sharing networks. Thirty-nine percent say they pay for downloads, while two in five college students say they never get music online. Among other findings:

  • The two most popular locations for downloading were college campuses (53%) and students' parents' homes (19%)
  • Of those who never download music (free or paid), 53 percent equate it to “stealing” while 44 percent don't see a problem with it
  • More than half of respondents (54%) said they weren't sure whether illegal downloads were against their college or university's policies
  • Almost three in four students (71%) said that illegal downloads “hurt record companies,” and more than half (56%) said they “hurt established musicians.”  
  • 74 percent said downloads “help up-and-coming musicians,” ostensibly because the students believe the file-sharing helps to increase the musicians' exposure
  • 14 percent of students use “work-arounds” – software employed to counter the anti-copying technologies used by programs like iTunes.

The national telephone survey was conducted by IPSOS from March 4th to March 29th. The survey was conducted among a sample of 500 enrolled college students who are 18-24 years old. The poll has a margin of error of +/- 5%. The full survey results are available here.

A full press release is available here. For more information please contact us.