Study Finds P2P Downloaders Buy More Music

Found on Michael Geist on Friday, 02 November 2007
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A newly study commissioned by Industry Canada, which includes some of the most extensive surveying to date of the Canadian population on music purchasing habits, finds what many have long suspected (though CRIA has denied) - there is a positive correlation between peer-to-peer downloading and CD purchasing.

When assessing the P2P downloading population, there was "a strong positive relationship between P2P file sharing and CD purchasing. That is, among Canadians actually engaged in it, P2P file sharing increases CD purchases."

The results of that research, consistent with earlier Canadian Heritage sponsored study by Shelley Stein-Sacks that refused to blame P2P for the industry's problems, is that P2P actually increases CD sales since those that download also tend to buy more music.

Now a lot of people would say that this proves that filesharers buy more music and P2P should be supported by the industry. However, the same music industry is well-known for having a twisted mind and problably comes to the conclusion that persons who buy more CDs are filesharers and are a new target for settlement lawsuits.