Yet another study casts doubt on link between file sharing and loss of media revenue

As reported in Bookseller.com yet another report casts doubt on the link between online file sharing and loss of revenue.

"The report, released yesterday (Monday 7th June), was commissioned by the Strategic Advisory Board for Intellectual Property Policy (SABIP). Although it did not not specifically consider books, the report argued that what data was available--from the music industry--was "insufficient in order to make a case for copyright".

Report author and academic Christian Handke said: "Even the most fundamental questions (for example, the effects of unathorised digital copying) have not yet been documented exhaustively. Those issues that have attracted considerable attention - e.g. the effect of file sharing on record industry revenues - remain contentious and further research seems desirable."

The argument that file sharing or "unauthorized copying" costs content producers money is dependent on the assumption that people would have purchased the things that they download. While the American music and film industries successfully sue people for millions the case that file sharing is actually costing them money has yet to be made. The only studies that indicate that it does have come from the industries themselves.

It is true that revenues are down substantially for television and music (not for film, their profits are up) - however the most likely cause of this is the proliferation of media in the last ten years. Consumers simply have more options than ever before and as more competitors crowd into the media marketplace the small handful of companies that used to dominate media are bound to see revenues decline.