Return to Transcripts main page

American Morning

'Minding Your Business'

Aired January 05, 2004 - 07:25   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Let's talk some business now. Have tough tactics by the recording industry cut down on illegal downloading?
Andy Serwer is minding your business this morning.

Hello.

Happy New Year.

ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: Good morning.

Happy New Year to you.

O'BRIEN: Thank you.

SERWER: Well, it does appear like those lawsuits the record companies have been filing against people who have been downloading songs illegally on the Internet might be taking effect.

Let's take a look at some numbers. A new study out by the Pew Internet and American Life Project here. And look, here's what it shows, Soledad.

Earlier this spring, 52 percent of those between 18 and 29 were downloading illegally. Now only 28 percent. The important thing to note here, that's between November and December. The important thing to note is the lawsuits began in September.

Now, a couple of caveats here. Number one, you ask people about illegal activity, well...

O'BRIEN: Not me.

SERWER: Do you get truthful answers? But the point is, if you assume that the same number of people were lying to begin with, in other words, it's the same question, so that's good. Also, this question was asked only to people in the U.S. We know piracy is a huge problem overseas.

But I think it's true that awareness is up amongst consumers that if you're stealing stuff online it is, in fact, stealing. I mean pirating is stealing. And so I think that's a positive for the record industry.

O'BRIEN: Have most of those cases been settled or are there people who are going to go to court? SERWER: Most of these people have paid fines from between $1,000 and $7,000. It's a real hit, you know?

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com






Aired January 5, 2004 - 07:25   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Let's talk some business now. Have tough tactics by the recording industry cut down on illegal downloading?
Andy Serwer is minding your business this morning.

Hello.

Happy New Year.

ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: Good morning.

Happy New Year to you.

O'BRIEN: Thank you.

SERWER: Well, it does appear like those lawsuits the record companies have been filing against people who have been downloading songs illegally on the Internet might be taking effect.

Let's take a look at some numbers. A new study out by the Pew Internet and American Life Project here. And look, here's what it shows, Soledad.

Earlier this spring, 52 percent of those between 18 and 29 were downloading illegally. Now only 28 percent. The important thing to note here, that's between November and December. The important thing to note is the lawsuits began in September.

Now, a couple of caveats here. Number one, you ask people about illegal activity, well...

O'BRIEN: Not me.

SERWER: Do you get truthful answers? But the point is, if you assume that the same number of people were lying to begin with, in other words, it's the same question, so that's good. Also, this question was asked only to people in the U.S. We know piracy is a huge problem overseas.

But I think it's true that awareness is up amongst consumers that if you're stealing stuff online it is, in fact, stealing. I mean pirating is stealing. And so I think that's a positive for the record industry.

O'BRIEN: Have most of those cases been settled or are there people who are going to go to court? SERWER: Most of these people have paid fines from between $1,000 and $7,000. It's a real hit, you know?

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com