UK Reduces Illegal Downloads

Warnings by ISP’s do seem to work in Britain. A voluntary agreement between six of the largest ISP’s in Britain and the British Phonographic Industry has helped reduce illegal songs downloads considerably.

Internet piracy has always been a major issue for the music industry. Music industry suffers huge loses due to illegal downloads. A recent survey by a entertainment media research company may show some light in the tunnel.

The survey reveals that with just a warning from internet service providers can help stop many illegal downloads. The survey taken from 1,500 UK consumers found that 75% of music pirates would stop their illegal downloads if they are warned by their ISPs.

The survey showed that over 40% of the internet users had downloaded songs from illegal websites during the last year. Fifty eight percent of teenagers also mentioned that they freely downloaded music.

The anti-piracy deal by the British phonographic Industry and the six major broadband providers are working on various strategies to stop piracy. However, the agreement is still in its early stages and a decision to warn consumers would bring in a serious debate.

The research further revealed that 41% preferred YouTube for videos and 25% prefered MySpace for music.