Illegal P2P Downloads Down by 25 Percent

© DeusXFlorida

According to a recent NPD Group survey, there was a 25 percent decline last year in illegal downloads in the U.S. from P2P sites.

"All the nasty malware and viruses that one can get at some P2P sites is the No. 1 reason why music fans say they helped themselves to fewer unauthorized songs," writes CNET News' Greg Sandoval. "Other reasons for the decline can be traced to the rise of ad-supported music services, such as Pandora, Spotify, and Vevo."

"With web integration such an important aspect of the Internet these days, having to run an independent program to download a song or two just seems clunky to a lot of people," writes Slyck's Thomas Mennecke. "Alternatively, streaming music sites have much to offer, without a lot of the headaches typically associated with P2P."

More here from AllAccess.com ... and more here from Exclaim News.