Slashdot points to a new Dutch study that finds that file sharing has positive economic effect on social welfare. The study, completed by several independent groups on behalf of the Dutch Ministries of Education, Economic Affairs, and Justice, acknowledges that file sharing may lead to some reduced sales for some artists, but that file sharing also have positive effects on purchasing behaviour. Industry Canada commissioned a study on the same issue, which concluded that there is a positive correlation between peer-to-peer downloading and CD purchasing.
Dutch Study Finds File Sharing Provides Positive Economic Impact
January 19, 2009
Share this post
2 Comments

Law Bytes
Episode 277: Kate Robertson on the Risks That Lie Behind Canada's Unexpected Signing of the UN Cybercrime Convention
byMichael Geist

June 22, 2026
Michael Geist
Search Results placeholder
Michael Geist on Substack
Recent Posts
The Law Bytes Podcast, Episode 277: Kate Robertson on the Risks That Lie Behind Canada’s Unexpected Signing of the UN Cybercrime Convention
A Surveillance Treaty in Disguise: The Trouble With Canada’s Quiet Decision to Sign the UN Cybercrime Convention
Rushing Lawful Access Backfires: Wyden Letter on Bill C-22 Highlights Political, Trade and Business Risks
The Law Bytes Podcast, Episode 276: Information Commissioner Caroline Maynard on Canada’s Access to Information Failures and Why Access Delayed is Access Denied
Why the Government’s Plan for a Social Media Ban in Bill C-34 Is Unconstitutional

This is good news! But….
“…positive economic effect on social welfare…”
Well, THERE’s two topics the Conservatives know nothing about! 😀
like me buying the diablo 2 boxset after p2ping diablo2?
like me buying the diablo 2 boxset after p2ping diablo2?
getting it and trying it unhindered by DRM and crap and then saying htis is a very cool game i like it and going out and saving and buying a boxset that included manuals maps and an expansion disk.