Music pirates could be put off by warning from ISPs

According to a recent report many would be music pirates could be put off by warning from their Internet Service Providers.

For the music industry and Internet Service Providers the problem of illegal music downloads has been causing headaches and issues for some time. According to the results of one recent study many would be illegal downloaders would be put off from this activity simply through a warning from their Internet Service Provider.

As part of the clampdown against illegal downloading ISPs have been threatening warnings and even suspension from Internet access for those found to be illegally downloading files and music. Recent research has shown that whilst forty three percent of music fans illegally downloaded music last year, this fell to thirty nine percent for this year.

Research was carried out by Entertainment Media Research, and showed that out of a survey of around fifteen hundred consumers about seventy two percent of them would refrain from illegally downloading music if asked to do so by their Internet Service Provider. An anti-piracy deal with struck this summer between the British Phonographic Industry and six major broadband providers.

The survey also showed that over sixty percent of those involved in illegal downloads of music thought that their ISP was monitoring their activities. Fifty eight percent of teenagers questioned in the survey said that they did not pay for their music downloads, and this compared to fifty seven percent last year.

Officials have said that the anti-piracy agreement between ISPs and the BPI is still in its relatively early stages, and decisions are still being made with regards to how to tackle those that do not comply with initial requests to stop illegally downloading music.