Almost a quarter of downloads in the United Kingdom infringe copyright, and while only 2% of the web traffic is responsible, it is costing the UK music industry along an estimated £200 million (319,880,000 USD) annually. The British Phonographic Industry has decided to take action in an effort to combat piracy by tracking websites that link to illegal content. The BPI then requests search engines to remove the sites from their relative search results in attempts to slow revenue growth for those hosting the content illegally. Google has been working hard to combat piracy and their transparency report indicates that BPI has requested the removal of over 35,401,959 during this year.
I support the efforts of the BPI, and applaud Google for dedicated resources to tackling the global issue of piracy. However, in terms of how piracy has impacted the economy and end-consumer, I feel conflicted. I believe it is true that if companies had funds accounted for by pirating they could devote capital to furthering the progression of the scene, yet recent studies show that what the music industry lacks in audio sales, it makes up for in live performance revenue. Income from concerts has increased 10% annually, making music pirates out to be the loss leader. In response to the popularity and convenience of pirating, new businesses have surfaced creating affordable streaming options like Spotify and Google Play, which allow users a complete music library available on demand at a low monthly or yearly price. These services benefit both businesses and end users, providing evidence that the long-term economic effects of media piracy are not exclusively poor.
What do you think, does the economy really suffer due to piracy or do you think the claims by the music industry are a bit exaggerated?
You can read more information about piracy in the UK and the effects of piracy from my sources below:
- Newsbeat meets the team tackling music piracy online
- Ofcom: Piracy accounts for one in four downloads
- The Hidden Effects of Media Piracy
I do not believe that the economy is suffering due to piracy. I don't see it as a huge issue. Granted they are losing a lot of money but, the industry isn't going broke from it.
ReplyDeleteKeantonia,
ReplyDeleteI think most consumers would agree with you. Musicians and actresses as portrayed by media and social networks do not appear to have suffered from piracy. I agree that the industry is not going broke from it because they have adapted and their main source of revenues stem from other aspects such as theatre and concert attendance income.