Half of French download illegally

NEARLY half of people in France download film and music illegally, according to a study by the anti-internet piracy body, Hadopi.

The study, which was published at the Midem music festival at Cannes on Sunday, found that only one third of users were prepared to change and migrate to legal sites.

Piracy was not slowing down and methods were diversifying, the report found.

Of those 2,600 people surveyed, 13 per cent said illegal downloading was a regular thing for them, 36 per cent said it was occasional or exceptional.

Internet piracy is more prevalent among the young: 70 per cent of 15- to 24 year-olds admit doing it, while 55 per cent of 25- to 39-year-olds and 32 per cent of 40-year-olds and over do the same.

A quarter of French under 24 do not buy anything online, but could not afford to go shops to buy music even if illegal downloading was made impossible.

The study found that those who downloaded the most material illegally also spent the most online on films and video.

Among the reasons given are the length of time it takes American series to reach France, the ability to watch foreign films that would not normally be available in France and the lack of availability on legal networks.

While Hadopi claims its first warning emails have pushed thousands of people away from peer-to-peer file sharing, one of the most popular methods of film distribution, this is not seen as a victory for the group by others.

While 25 per cent said they had been doing it for longer than five years, 29 per cent admitted they had started in the past six months – after Hadopi became active.

Only one third of those surveyed said they were ready to change their behaviour.

The president of Parti Pirate, Paul de Silva, told Le Figaro: "A lot of people have simply moved to methods just as illegal but which escape the control of Hadopi, such as direct downloading or live-streaming."