IGS: Consumers "educated" about piracy, but don't see it as a crime

New research revealed at the ELSPA International Games Summit suggests that British consumers are aware of the industry's position on counterfeit goods, but do not support its initiatives to cut down on the rate of piracy.

Highlights of a study to be released next week, called Fake Nation, were discussed at the summit by researcher Dr Jo Bryce, a senior lecturer in psychology at the University of Central Lancashire.

One of the key findings of the study was that consumers consider piracy to be a normal part of life, and that they do not share the view of the industry and the government that it is a criminal activity which is similar to common theft.

British consumers are aware and educated regarding the scale of the problem and the possible consequences of engaging in piracy, according to Dr Bryce, but they do not share the industry's concerns or its perspective on the issue.

Crucially, they held very different views on downloading pirate software as against buying or selling counterfeit goods - with downloading being perceived as ethically very different, and somehow "cleaner" since no cash transaction is involved.

Regarding the motivation for engaging in piracy, cost was cited as the major reason - but the economic reasons are more complex than that, with the highest earners not necessarily being the group with the lowest rate of piracy, and teenagers seen as "tactical spenders" who chose to pirate goods in order to utilise the money on other entertainment forms.

"People did have a very high perception of feeling ripped off by the industries involved," Dr Bryce said. "We have to engage with those beliefs in order to reduce demand [for pirate goods] and change consumer attitudes."

Another worrying finding for the industry was that even among consumers who do not themselves engage in downloading or buy counterfeit goods, most were of the opinion that the practise is a normal part of life.

"It's a normal thing now, an everyday thing," one consumer told the study team - while another argued that teenagers engaged in piracy were "doing what any other normal teenager who's skint would do."

The full Fake Nation study is due to be unveiled next week, with the research team promising that far more information of direct relevance to the games industry will be revealed at that time.