Impact of internet piracy on the Australian economy

This study, commissioned by the Australian Content Industry Group, estimated that in 2010 internet piracy took $900 million out of the Australian economy and was responsible for the loss of over 8,300 jobs. Key findings In 2010: 4.7 million* Australian internet users accessed online content illegally. The annual value of lost retail to Australian content industries was $900 million. Over 8,000 jobs were lost in the content industries sector as a result of internet piracy. The annual impact of internet piracy to Commonwealth Government revenues was $190 million. By 2016 (including the potential impact of the NBN): 8 million5 Australian internet users will access online content illegally. The value of annual lost retail to the Australian content industries sector will be $5.2 billion – a loss of $18 billion over the period 2010-2016. A further 40,000 jobs could be lost in the sector as a result of internet piracy. Job losses due to copyright theft are projected to grow by a factor of 5.9 in less than a decade. It is also likely that by 2016 more jobs will be lost in the sector than created. The annual impact of internet piracy to Commonwealth Government revenues will be $1.1 billion – a loss of $3.7 billion over the period 2010-2016.   *Based on the ARC Centre for Excellence for Creative Industries Research survey and Internet World Stats