News 

The 2008 Digital Entertainment Survey has found that seven out of 10 UK internet users said they would stop file sharing if they received a warning letter, with the proportion even higher amongst teenagers.

In fact, warning letters appear more likely to deter sharing than the threat of legal action, since most don’t believe

ADVERTISEMENT

that they will be caught.

“People are concerned about stories of prosecution, and nearly two in three say they would stop if they felt there was more chance of being court,” the report says.

“Fear of being caught is a strong impetus to quit, but over two in three believe it is very unlikely they will ever be caught downloading.”

As a result, 50% said that they would carry on downloading, even if there were more reports of prosecutions.

The survey comes as ISPs and content providers discuss new measures to deter file sharing, with the government promising any necessary legislation to enshrine those measures in law.

Warning letters are being sent out, but the ultimate sanction of disconnecting persistent sharers seems certain to be rejected, after the European Commission backed a European Parliament vote to outlaw disconnections.