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Stop Piracy? Legal Alternatives Beat Legal Threats, Research Shows (torrentfreak.com)

Posted by msmash on from the we-need-to-talk dept.

An anonymous reader writes: Threatening file-sharers with high fines or even prison sentences is not the best way to stop piracy. New research published by UK researchers shows that perceived risk has no effect on people's file-sharing habits. Instead, the entertainment industries should focus on improving the legal options, so these can compete with file-sharing. Unauthorized file-sharing (UFS) is best predicted by the supposed benefits of piracy. As such, the researchers note that better legal alternatives are the best way to stop piracy. The results are based on a psychological study among hundreds of music and ebook consumers. They were subjected to a set of questions regarding their file-sharing habits, perceived risk, industry trust, and online anonymity. By analyzing the data the researchers found that the perceived benefit of piracy, such as quality, flexibility of use and cost are the real driver of piracy. An increase in legal risk was not directly associated with any statistically significant decrease in self-reported file-sharing.

3 of 134 comments (clear)

  1. The beatings will continue until morale improves by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    In general, threatening people will not produce better results than encouraging people over the long term.

  2. People tend to think others will behave as they do by Solandri · · Score: 5, Insightful

    If you're a music executive who made it to where you are by cheating musicians and paying them as little as possible, and by overcharging customers at every opportunity, you will tend to assume other people will behave the same way you yourself do. It will literally be inconceivable to you that a lot of people, even given the opportunity to get something for free by piracy, would rather pay you what they consider to be a fair amount for your work.

  3. Re:Screw you by michelcolman · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I "know someone who" wanted to rent a 5 year old movie on iTunes not long ago. He was ready to pay for it. The rights holders, however, had decided that this particular movie was only to be made available for purchase, not rental. More than twice the price of a rental. So guess what he did...

    Other example, same guy, rented a movie on iTunes then decided he liked it so much he wanted to purchase it. Do you think they would let him convert the rental into a purchase? Nope, full price on top of rental. So guess what he did...

    Bad service turns potential customers into pirates. In both examples above the rights holders missed out on the money someone was willing to spend because they were simply too greedy. It's easy to blame the pirates, though.