Research from the Netherlands shows that the percentage of pirates has declined across all popular entertainment in recent years, except for Ebooks. The data, which also reveals some intriguing piracy demographics, suggest that book pirates are missing something in the current legal offerings.
Piracy statistics can be tricky. Trends often go in different directions, depending on the region, the type of media, as well as the research timeframe. One of the most elaborate datasets collected in recent years comes from the University of Amsterdam. Among other things, it suggested that legal options are a better way to beat piracy than enforcement.