In 2005, the Motion Picture organization of America commissioned a study on illegal downloading of movies on college campuses. The results of that study, conducted by the worldly firm LEK Consulting, were shocking. Forty-four percent of college students engaged in illegal downloading, the study found.

The study made waves in Congress, increased pressure on college campuses to crack down on downloading and even resulted in the introduction of a bill that would require schools to offer music-subscription services as an alternative to illegal downloading.

But it turns out there was a problem. The MPAA admitted Tuesday that the study was so deeply flawed that it overstated the downloading problem by 300 percent. Actual illegal downloading on campus is 15 percent, the group told The Associated Press.

Investigation Promised

“We take that error very seriously and have taken strong and instant action to both investigate the root cause of that problem as well as substantiate the accuracy

of the latest report,” the MPAA said in a statement. “The latest details confirms that college campuses are still faced with a significant problem. Although college students manufacture up 3 percent of the population, they are responsible for a disproportionate amount of stolen movie products in that country.”

University IT officials and technology bloggers expressed outrage at the news and said students have been unfairly blamed.

Mark Luker, vice president of Educause, said the true amount of illegal downloading by college networks is closer to three percent, the part of the general population that students represent. “The 44 percent figure was used to show that whether college campuses could somehow solve that problem on that campus, thereupon it would construct a tremendous difference in the business of the motion-picture industry,” Luker told the AP. The reality, as shown by the new figures, is that “any solution on campus will have…

Original post by Top Tech News