Tiscali study finds half UK internet users visit P2P sites

Almost half of UK internet users visit P2P file-sharing sites, according to a survey run by ISP Tiscali. The survey was hosted on the tiscali.co.uk music channel through December and January, with support from other media sites including Drowned in Sound. P2P sites are used by 46 percent of respondents but 53 percent say they have never knowingly downloaded music illegally. Almost half of respondents said they had used one or more of the sites most associated with illegal downloading (BitTorrent, Limewire, Gnutella, emule, Ares or DirectConnect) with Limewire (34%) and BitTorrent (25%) by far the most popular. At least three out of four people know what is legal and illegal in relation to their music use, but at least half don't think the music industry does enough to persuade them that illegal downloading is damaging. Over 80 percent of the survey respondents said that they still pay for music in some form, whether on a CD or via download, and 34 percent said they spend at least GBP 10 per month. Of those who have admitted to illegal downloading in the past, many are doing it to supplement the music they buy. Approximately one in ten say they do it because they like to 'try before they buy'. A similar one in ten say they rarely buy music now they can get it for free. Punitive measures rate low for deterrent as only 6 percent fear a fine, 2 percent fear that their ISP will monitor them and only 3 percent are worried that their ISP will cut them off. The two main deterrents to download illegally are firstly a lack of knowledge, with 31 percent saying they do not know which sites are legal and which are not and this prevents them from trying these services. Secondly, 25 percent of people said that they are primarily deterred from downloading illegally by a desire to own the extras that come with a CD, including sleeve notes, artwork and lyrics.