The MPAA has admitted that a study it used to pressure colleges to take more action against illegal downloading overstates the problem by more than 200 percent. The study was also used to pressure Congress to pass laws forcing colleges to do so.
The 2005 study showed downloading at college accounted for 44 percent of industry losses. It has since been revealed that the study only showed a figure of 14 percent. Some experts say that the study is flawed and it is closer to 3 percent.
The MPAA has blamed the large overstatement in the study on human error and is investigating the accuracy of it's most recent figures. It says, however, that its efforts to force colleges and universities crack down on piracy are still justified.
