MS: Teens Less Likely to Download Illegally When They Know the Laws

February 14th, 2008, 22:21 Posted By: wraggster

Microsoft Corp. today announced the results of a new survey that found teenagers between seventh and 10th grades are less likely to illegally download content from the Internet when they know the laws for downloading and sharing content online.

About half of those teens, however, said they were not familiar with these laws, and only 11 percent of them clearly understood the current rules for downloading images, literature, music, movies and software. Teens who were familiar with downloading rules credited their parents, TV or stories in magazines and newspapers, and Web sites -- more so than their schools -- as resources for information about illegal downloading.

Following are additional key findings from the survey:
-- A lack of familiarity with the rules and guidelines for downloading from the Internet contributes to teen opinions that punishment is unnecessary.
-- Almost half of the teenagers surveyed (49 percent) said they are not familiar with the rules and guidelines for downloading images, literature, music, movies and software from the Internet. Only one in 10 (11 percent) said they understood the rules "very well."
-- Among teenagers who said they were familiar with the laws, more than eight in 10 (82 percent) said illegal downloaders should be punished. In contrast, slightly more than half (57 percent) of those unfamiliar with the laws said violators should be punished.
-- In general, teenagers regard illegal downloading over the Internet as less offensive than other forms of stealing.
-- Less than half of the teens surveyed (48 percent) indicated punishment was appropriate for illegal downloading, while 90 percent indicated punishment was appropriate for stealing a bike.
-- Teens rely on parents for rules on downloading.
-- Teens report that their parents are their main source of information about what they can and cannot do online. Reinforcing the role of parents is the finding that some of the strongest deterrents to stealing and illegally sharing content are the prospective consequences.
-- Among teens who download or share content online, boys are more likely than girls to say that they would not continue after being told the rules* to download or share content over the Internet without paying for it or gaining the owner's permission (76 percent vs. 68 percent respectively).
-- Teens are challenged by peer pressure and their wallets.
-- Among teens, peer pressure and cost also have a strong influence on attitudes toward illegal downloading.

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