Originally Posted by Cherry7

Collating separate studies in 16 countries over a three-year period, IFPI estimates
more than 40 billion files were illegally file-shared in 2008, giving a piracy rate of
around 95 per cent.

Overall 16 per cent of internet users in Europe regularly swapped infringing music on
file-sharing services in 2008 according to Jupiter Research.

Online piracy is hitting local repertoire. The number of new albums released in France
fell by eight per cent in the first half of 2008, new artist releases tumbled by 30 per
cent and the French share of newly-released albums fell from 15 to 10 per cent 2005-
08. In Spain, a sole new local artist featured in the Top 50 album chart to November
2008, down from 10 in 2003.

In the UK, Jupiter valued the lost to online piracy at £180 million annually, with a
cumulative loss of £1.1 billion by 2012 if nothing is done to address the problem.

Online infringement is becoming a big issue for the film industry. A total of 13.7
million films were distributed on P2P networks in France in May 2008, compared to
12.2 million cinema tickets sold (Equancy and Co and Tera Consultants).

"There is a momentous debate going on about the environment on which our business, and all the people working in it, depends. Governments are beginning to accept that, in the debate over "free content" and engaging ISPs in protecting intellectual property rights, doing nothing is not an option if there is to be a future for commercial digital content."