From BBC
Stream-ripping is now the fastest-growing form of music piracy in the UK, new research has suggested. Several sites and apps allow users to turn Spotify songs, YouTube videos and other streaming content into permanent files to store on phones and computers. Record labels claim that "tens, or even hundreds of millions of tracks are illegally copied and distributed by stream-ripping services each month". One service alone is thought to have more than 60 million monthly users. According to research by the Intellectual Property Office and PRS For Music, 15% of adults in the UK regularly use these services, with 33% of them coming from the 16-24 age bracket. Overall usage of stream-ripping sites increased by 141.3% between 2014 and 2016, overshadowing all other illegal music services. In September last year, these sites were used 498,681 times to pirate music in the UK. By comparison, file-sharing service BitTorrent was used 23,567 times; and Cyberlocker sites like Dropbox and Rapidshare were accessed 104,898 times. "As soon as we think we've come up with an innovative solution [to piracy], the pirates seem to come up with an even more innovative infringement tactic," said Pippa Hall, Chief Economist at the IPO.Read more here: http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-40519137
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