In 2022, about one in four Australians downloaded illegal information via the internet as the number of people watching live sports and other live entertainment increased.
After two years of decreased online piracy rates, the 2022 Consumer Survey on Online Copyright Infringement discovered an uptick in the number of Australians viewing media unlawfully.
The only category where illegal consumption continued to fall was video games, whereas piracy in the areas of movies, television, music, and live sports all increased between 2021 and 2022 by two to five percent.
The statistics, according to Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus, are “disturbingly high,” and he expressed hope that new technology would be modified to safeguard Australian artists while still enabling consumers to simply enjoy entertainment products.
Up to 10 different streaming services may offer Australia’s favorite television series and motion pictures in 2023, and the majority of them have raised their subscription costs throughout that time.
Additionally, 26% of respondents permitted someone from outside their family to access their login information, according to the report.
At least 1.5 million users will be banned from the site by March as the leader in streaming, Netflix, cracks down on password sharing.
Free material is more alluring than ever given the rising cost of basics and inflation, which is at a three-decade high of 7.8%.
The attraction of free content was the main motivator for piracy, with 31% of respondents stating they would be more likely to access media illegally if they didn’t have to pay – a rise of 3% from 2020.
Although piracy of content was still seen negatively by 64% of Australians, this was a 4% drop from the previous year.
A study of copyright enforcement procedures by the federal government has been announced, and it will be available for public comment until March 7.
