In a world of file-sharing, “entertainment industry output and options...

In a world of file-sharing, “entertainment industry output and options have been expanding over the last decade,” according to a new study by Floor64 commissioned by the Computer and Communications Industry Association (http://xrl.us/bob627). The study focuses on the books, games, music and video industries in Germany, France, the U.K., Italy, Russia and Spain. File-sharing is creating new ways for entertainment industry members to engage with consumers, as evidenced by the growth of markets for e-readers readers and e-books, which are “opening up opportunities for new kinds of content that couldn’t have been published in the past,” said Floor64 and TechDirt CEO Michael Masnick. Similarly, video is seeing increased online distribution -- feature-length films can be “streamed to PCs and mobile devices as well” as broadcast on TV -- and videogames are “moving beyond consoles/PCs to smartphones, tablets, social networks and into nearly every part of daily life,” the report said. These other entertainment industries are learning from the music industry’s initial resistance to file-sharing, said Masnick during a Thursday press call announcing the report. “It appears that certainly [that for] the books, games and films market[s], the transition has probably been less gut wrenching in some ways” than it was for the music industry, he said. “I think they've certainly learned some lessons.” But the music industry is not “waning,” the report said, suggesting that the music industry “focus on adapting to new digital technologies and business models -- not [look] to preserve outdated distribution methods.” As content creators have more opportunities to reach consumers, they face a challenge in that “the roadmap for those creating content or releasing content can be less clear,” Masnick said. While the report generally avoids discussing specific policies and doesn’t take policy positions, he said he hopes the research can inform policy discussions. “Some of these discussions take place without really looking at the data,” he said. Additionally, the study’s authors hope “that it will encourage more openness” among industry and government organizations to share their data.