January 5, 2001
Results of the November 2000 WestTrack poll show:
Downloadable Music Should be Available with Fee or other Regulation
(Verbatim questions follow section)
Almost one-third (32%) of Arizona residents 30 years of age and younger have downloaded music from the Internet, according to a recent survey by WestGroup Research. Of this group, 40 percent have downloaded music 10 or more times in the past six months. Men are more likely than women (18% vs. 10%) to download music. Those in higher income brackets are more likely to download from the Internet than those at lower income levels (7% at under $25,000 per year vs. 23% at $55,000 per year and above).
Most Arizonans believe that Internet sites from which music can be downloaded should be charged a fee for each recording exchanged or be regulated in some other manner (charge a fee: 31%, other regulation: 21%). More than a quarter of the sample (27%) believe the sites should be free to operate without any costs or restrictions; 9 percent responded that the sites should be shut down completely and 12 percent chose not to respond.
Verbatim Question 1:
There has been considerable debate recently about the public’s ability
to download music from the Internet. There are sites on the Internet which
essentially provide public access to the sharing and downloading of any
recorded material for no cost. The recorded material downloaded is generally
music. This allows these Internet users to get music they want for free
that they would otherwise have to buy in the form of CDs, tapes or records.
Many members of the recording industry want these sites shut down because
they feel these sites will greatly reduce the number of recordings that
will be sold. Others feel this is an issue of free speech and people should
be allowed to share and exchange any material they own with anyone they
choose. How do you feel about this issue? Should these sites:
- Be shut down completely?
- Be charged a fee for each recording exchanged?
- Be free to operate without any cost or limitations?
- Be regulated in some other manner?
Verbatim Question
2:
Have you ever downloaded music from the Internet?
Verbatim Question 3: (If “yes” to
question 2.)
Approximately how many times in the past 6 months have you downloaded
music from the Internet?
