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EU Piracy Estimates — Just How Inaccurate?

Posted by Soulskill on from the pirates-across-the-pond dept.

Last week we discussed news that a US government report questioned the reliability of piracy statistics from the media industry. Reader superapecommando sends in a follow-up written by Glyn Moody that examines a similar problem in Europe. Quoting: "As far as I know, no similar analysis has been carried out for European reports. So I thought it might be interesting to look at one particular European report on the subject — not least because I've heard that its findings influenced some of the MPs voting on the Digital Economy Act. ... the net result of this 68-page report, with all of its tables and detailed methodology, is that four out of the top five markets used for calculating the overall piracy loss in Europe draw on figures supplied by the recording industry itself. Those apparently terrifying new figures detailing the supposed loss of money and jobs due to piracy in Europe turn out to be little more than a re-statement of the industry's previous claims in a slightly different form. As a result, as little credence can be placed in the report as in those criticised by the US GAO."

4 of 124 comments (clear)

  1. I still blame Metallica by Jeng · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I still blame Metallica. When Load didn't sell jack because it was the worst album they ever put out they started screaming that the reason that Load of crap did not sell was due to piracy.

    They are Janet Jackson's nipple of the piracy world.

    --
    Don't know something? Look it up. Still don't know? Then ask.
  2. Very Inaccurate by WrongSizeGlass · · Score: 4, Interesting

    No estimates are going to be accurate. There are many more sources for files than these people will ever find ... and the **AA take every source they can make up and then pass it through a magic multiplication filter (the same one they use to calculate the value of their 'losses').

  3. Invalidate by headkase · · Score: 4, Interesting

    So when the supporting numbers are well and truly shown to be bogus can we invalidate all the legislation that they inspired as well? Hahah, yeah joking.

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    Shh.
  4. dilemma by StripedCow · · Score: 4, Interesting

    The media industry has a nice dilemma here:

    If the piracy figures are too small, then nobody will care about them.
    On the other hand, if the piracy figures are too large, then the whole European population is criminalized, and nobody will care either...

    --
    If Pandora's box is destined to be opened, *I* want to be the one to open it.