The survey by the Pew Internet and American Life Project showed about 14 per cent of Americans downloaded music files over the internet in the four weeks ending on December 14. That compared with 29 per cent last May, just before the Recording Industry Association of America announced it was preparing to sue people who shared unauthorised music files over the internet.
Since September the RIAA has filed hundreds of lawsuits against music pirates, claiming "egregious" copyright infringement and seeking up to $150,000 per violation. Many defendants have settled out of court for up to $10,000.
Based on the numbers reported here, would you say that the demand curve for illegal downloads is elastic? That is, does a given percentage change in the full cost of illegal downloads cause a greater percentage change in the quantity of illegal downloads? What other information would you like to have to answer this question?