Aussie Institute of Criminology calls piracy losses "self-serving hyperbole"

Cory Doctorow: The Australian Institute of Criminology analyzed the music and software piracy loss-figures for the the Attorney General, and drafted a report that found them to be errant nonsense

The report calls the losses cited by software and music industry lobbyists "self-serving hyperbole," "epistemologically unreliable," and "absurd." The Institute of Criminology promises to tone down the language in the final report. You can feel the outrage of some poor economist who found herself going down the rabbit-hole as she analyzed the phony-baloney numbers these giant corporations use to argue for new laws to line their pockets.

Many copyright holders claimed links between piracy and organised crime, but AIC researcher had found nothing to support that view.

"Either there is no evidence of any links between piracy and organised crime or it is simply beyond the capacity of rights holders to identify these links," he wrote, adding that he was concerned about the way piracy figures were being used.

"It is inappropriate for courts and policy makers to accept at face value currently unsubstantiated statistics.

"Either these statistics must be withdrawn or the purveyors of these statistics must supply valid and transparent substantiation."

Link (via /.)

noemail@noemail.org (Cory Doctorow) Tue, 07 Nov 2006 06:43:55 -0600

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