"People who illegally download music from the internet also spend more money on music than anyone else, according to a new study. The survey, published today, found that those who admit illegally downloading music spent an average of £77 a year on music – £33 more than those who claim that they never download music dishonestly. The findings suggest that plans by the Secretary of State for Business, Peter Mandelson, to crack down on illegal downloaders by threatening to cut their internet connections with a "three strikes and you're out" rule could harm the music industry by punishing its core customers." - Steven Perez from Bookmarklet

This is the second study I've heard about with the same result. It supports the "try before you buy" M.O. of today's music lover. - dthree

While this news won't come as a surprise to anyone here, the fact that policy makers are seemingly blind to the facts highlights the growing disconnect between Government and the people they supposedly represent... On the plus side, more reporting like this could help motivate people to engage more rigorously with their elected representatives... I live in hope! - Andrew Terry