A third of iPod owners are 'stealing' music on the net

Last updated at 15:14 18 September 2006


A third of iPod owners are downloading illegally, a major study has found.

"Free activity - both legal and otherwise - significantly outweighs paid activity," said Mark Mulligan, vice president at JupiterResearch, which carried out the study.

Just 17 per cent of European owners bought music online on at least a monthly basis, according to the report.

Mr Mulligan said: "This research doesn't so much slam Apple as debunk the myth that MP3 player ownership, including iPods, translates into digital music buying."

The study found 30 per cent of iPod owners download music illegally for free.

The figures include paid-for music, as well as tracks downloaded free from legal and illegal sites.

"There is clearly massive potential not being tapped into and the music industry needs to work harder to innovate," said Mr Mulligan. "It is not winning the fight against free music."

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