Recording Industry: Please Ignore Others' Bogus Studies -- Only Our Own Bogus Studies Count

from the takes-one-to-know-one dept

Mon, Apr 5th 2010 2:14pm — Mike Masnick

Back at the beginning of March, we wrote about a study that noted that since the French Hadopi (three strikes) law had technically gone into effect, it appeared that unauthorized file trading had increased -- though it had shifted to other means (ones not covered by Hadopi). As we noted in that post, while Hadopi was technically in effect, no enforcement had begun due to data privacy questions. Still, it seemed telling to see the shift in how people were trading files to get around the law. A few days ago, some news sites re-discovered that study and so it got some more attention -- leading the IFPI to start trying to play a neat game of misdirection. Ars Technica points us to a statement from the IFPI mocking anyone who takes such a report seriously:

"It is nonsense to suggest that a study conducted before the HADOPI authority has sent a letter to a single infringing user is somehow a definitive judgment on the success or otherwise of France's digital piracy laws.... We believe the approach will prove successful, but the impact of the law will only be known some time after it goes into effect. In the meantime, surveys like this are pure speculation."

Now, this is the IFPI we're talking about, and if ever there were an organization that knows something about studies that are "pure speculation," it would be the IFPI. Every year the IFPI comes out with one of the more laughable reports on the "impact" of file sharing. The 2010 report is particularly full of baseless speculation, such as claiming that file sharing "harmed" some of the best selling music and movies in the last couple of years.

So, forgive us for asking why we should ignore the baseless speculation from one side, while we're expect to assume that the IFPI's own baseless speculation is pure gold?

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Filed Under: hadopi, music industry, studies

15 Comments

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Anonymous Coward, 5 Apr 2010 @ 3:01pm

The IFPI sounds like a broken recording industry.
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Hephaestus (profile), 5 Apr 2010 @ 3:35pm

Re:
Thats Broken Record ...
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Anonymous Coward, 5 Apr 2010 @ 4:02pm

Re: Re:
Me make joke.
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Brian (profile), 5 Apr 2010 @ 5:17pm

First....
They just wanted to be the ones to yell first in the baseless study race. They failed and are now angry
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PEBKAC, 5 Apr 2010 @ 5:37pm

"We believe the approach will prove successful, but the impact of the law will only be known some time after it goes into effect."

Oh, IFPI, it's all about you, isn't it?

Impact...on what exactly? Surely they aren't concerned with impact upon the populace but upon whatever nebulous means they concoct to tally piracy rates. How will they measure success? Number of letters sent? Postage used? Internautes ejected?

Ceci ne pas une pipe, IFPI. Une debacle extraordinaire, peut etre.

*Pardonnez ma Francais - c'est dommage.
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Anonymous Coward, 5 Apr 2010 @ 5:55pm

an interesting story to read on a site full of baseless speculation.
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Anonymous Coward, 5 Apr 2010 @ 6:04pm

Re:
Whose "baseless speculation" do you believe ?
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Anonymous Coward, 5 Apr 2010 @ 6:44pm

The solution is to make sure to never do any studies or gather any data of your own. That way, you can lob criticism at anybody else you want without them ever being able to hold you accountable for anything.
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Anonymous Coward, 5 Apr 2010 @ 7:13pm

home downloading is wrecking themusic industry
well we used to use vcrs and downlaod into the tape real , now we have this internet and OH are those people evil that do it. TO think poor people that can barely afford thre internet or need to share it to think they would download a tv episode and record it onto a hard drive. NOW this study form france what a CROCK. YA see we have to have stricter piracy laws now to make sure they aren't still pirating.
Suggestons include:

the BUTTHOLE camera in case they hide things near the bathroom

the faceplant cam , you wont be able to see until you pay 1$ with this wifi camera that will then also transmit all that you see to ifpi. OH yea and we weld these to your head.

DriveBY Shooter cam, yes quake will never be the same now as your car will have cameras on the roof spying on all hte other drivers making sure the only cdrs and dvdrs that go into your cars are ones WE SOLD YOU.

SchoolBedroomCam
We will get catholic priests the epitome of sainthood to watch these cams so tha we will know what the students are up too. IFPI thinking of children .....

SonyROOTKIT.V2.0 for all your software needs and we will have htem coded so you cant run nothing without our cool software.

A new organization called FUCKTARD will be created.
For Users Creators Killing Time And Retard Developers.....
This org will make it illegal for open source, no more public domain , no more free nohting , YOU EVIL BASTARDS. PAY UP you datardly thieves.

IT will bribe er lobby all politicians everywhere and make them slaves cause we know what they did on that long long trip last week......Those we can't bribe we'll get them fired form work or make laws to remove them form office.
Damn traitors and thieves damn. WE WILL GET YOU
FUCKTARD will reign you all in and then we will genetically alter your heads sp you cant do nohting but our wills muhahaha
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Anonymous Coward, 5 Apr 2010 @ 7:16pm

home downloading is wrecking themusic industry
oh and new laws forbiding
humming of music tunes
whistling of music tunes
playing it in your back yard or anywhere its pay per use
FUCKTARD OWNS YOU
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Anonymous Coward, 5 Apr 2010 @ 7:42pm

home downloading is wrecking themusic industry(3)
oh ya and we'll create more of the use less recording industry jobs like accountants for the public performance rights so that no more can you anywhere play a tune in public without the expressed paid consent of the IFPI people

hey even if your not with ifpi we'll take money on your behalf too , don't worry the CRIA of Canada has the plan there we'll just wait till 300000 of you sue , which you won't cause we'll change the laws.
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Anonymous Coward, 5 Apr 2010 @ 10:49pm

Re: Re:
neither. crap on one side not really justification for crap on the other side. the difference here is the speculation is what you want to hear so you like it.
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Anonymous Coward, 5 Apr 2010 @ 10:49pm

Re: Re:
neither. crap on one side not really justification for crap on the other side. the difference here is the speculation is what you want to hear so you like it.
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gorehound (profile), 6 Apr 2010 @ 7:42am

These media companies and their stooges will never stop us.
Frak you IFPI
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Joel (profile), 6 Apr 2010 @ 9:37am

Bogus Studies
What if I base my bogus study on their bogus study??

Will the planet implode and humanity be exterminated??

I beg the people doing these studies help the IFPI a little by giving them some hope that their rules and such might work, if not they will be calling your studies useless and the governments won't look at them.
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