MPAA admits incorrectly estimating college piracy losses

MPAA admits incorrectly estimating college piracy losses
The MPAA is now backing away from statistics they began using in 2005 as a bullet point in their legal assault on college campuses. The study which generated the statistics claimed that 44% of their domestic losses due to piracy came from college students. However, the group has now admitted that due to "human error" the real number, which is more like 15%, was exaggerated.

According to Mark Luker who is vice president of Educause, a sort of professional association for entire campus IT departments, the real figure is lower still since the study only accounts for the approximately 20% of students who reside on campus. He estimates the correct figure to be closer to 3%.



"The 44 percent figure was used to show that if college campuses could somehow solve this problem on this campus, then it would make a tremendous difference in the business of the motion picture industry," Luker said. The new figures prove "any solution on campus will have only a small impact on the industry itself."

Written by: Rich Fiscus @ 23 Jan 2008 14:08
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  • 12 comments
  • mediabob

    who the heck would believe an MPAA statistic... theyre lying scum bags

    23.1.2008 14:46 #1

  • ZippyDSM

    *dies laughing*

    this is why there should be separation of corporation and state....

    23.1.2008 14:50 #2

  • mspurloc

    How much of my tax money was wasted by this?
    The MPAA gets law enforcement involved in what the MPAA liars sell as the "MOST SERIOUS CRIME EVER, EVER, EVAAARRRRR!!!!" and I have to pay the damn bill?
    They should be SUED.
    They should be ARRESTED and PROSECUTED for false representations made in a warrant, which last time I checked, was a FELONY in some states.

    23.1.2008 14:58 #3

  • 7thsinger

    Man, is it getting deep in here? Or is it just me?







    "Sir, i would not harm thee for the world, but thou art standing where i'm about to shoot."

    23.1.2008 14:58 #4

  • wetsparks

    Quote:...due to "human error"...I'm sorry, but what?!?!? 44% down to 15% is a pretty big error. The "human error" is more like "we lied and got caught" error.

    23.1.2008 23:24 #5

  • Blackjax

    I think the "good" folks at the mpaa need a few remedial math classes and for the sake of everyone's ribs keep them away from the game show "Are you smarter than a fifth grader?"

    24.1.2008 00:00 #6

  • ikari

    Funny thing is: They won't get in trouble. But I guarantee if it was you or me that made a claim like that, we would be sued and fined until we were penniless and in millions of dollars in debt.

    24.1.2008 19:15 #7

  • hermes_vb

    And in other news MPAA proclaims the Earth is flat...

    27.1.2008 13:18 #8

  • DDR4life

    @hermes_vb
    "And in other news MPAA proclaims the Earth is flat..."

    lol.

    EXTRA! EXTRA!

    MPAA proclaims Earth devoid of a spherical nature!
    Statements to the contrary in violation of copyright!

    27.1.2008 19:36 #9

  • nobrainer

    An interesting read about this can be found here:

    http://www.insidehighered.com/views/2008/01/29/green
    Originally posted by linkage:
    The Movie Industry’s 300% Error

    We also have to admire the MPAA’s arrogance. The MPAA now asserts that college students account for 15 percent rather than 44 percent of the P2P piracy affecting the motion picture industry. However the press release says nothing — not a word — about the source of the other “85 percent” of the P2P piracy that affects the industry’s revenues, the activities of “civilians” who use consumer broadband services.
    how can they tell how much revenue was lost exactly, who's to say that every person that downloaded a film didn't purchase a real copy once they realised it wasn't complete trash, or didn't purchase it because like much of the big media productions it turned out to be complete talentless rubbish that relied on flashy effects and green screens, in which case this is hollywoods own fault for expecting ppl to continue to purchase worthless inane cow pat films, or would have ever purchased it and the only reason the watch the content was because of it being free because of whatever reason!

    The BPI Are: SONY, UNIVERSAL, WARNER GROUP, EMI.

    The RIAA Soundexchange Are: SONY, UNIVERSAL, WARNER GROUP, EMI.

    The MPAA Are: SONY, UNIVERSAL, WARNER GROUP, DISNEY, PARAMOUNT, FOX.

    29.1.2008 12:21 #10

  • kubapolak

    this is outrageous and is unacceptable!!! I hope the MPAA gets punished!!!!

    31.1.2008 19:48 #11

  • borhan9

    A lawyer for the defence should use this article as a part of their case against the mpaa and riaa.

    18.2.2008 02:00 #12

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