The music industry and internet service providers may be fretting over eventual legal sanctions of the three-strikes anti-piracy policy, but just one warning from an ISP would be enough to stop 70 percent of illegal file sharers in their tracks, according to Entertainment Media Research‘s 2008 Digital Entertainment Survey for Wiggin. Maybe it’s the realisation big brother really is watching you? Youngsters are more worried still - 78 percent of male teens and 75 percent of female teens would stop after one warning. As a rule, a higher likelihood of getting caught would cause 66 percent to stop downloading material illegally.

SEE ALSO: Free Online TV Dominated By BBC, Commercial Sector Lags: Research

Other findings…

—You pay, we play: 70 percent would rather put up with ads on online video than pay for it. When forced to buy content, they’d prefer PPV (57 percent) over subscription. And there’s a greater propensity to pay for live sport, live music and movies.

—All the right friends: 27 percent of social network users reckon the nets could become the main way to access video and music. Such sites are now music discovery tools for 30 percent of users (though nearly half of female teens do this). For movies and TV, that’s just over a quarter.

—Video: In curious contradiction to Screen Digest’s report giving iPlayer a clear advantage, EMR says the most popular online video service is YouTube and is only used by 37 percent of users. Channel 4’s 4oD is the most popular online TV service (used by 15 percent), but 52 percent say they are most interested by the imminent Kangaroo… wait until they hear they may have to pay for that…

The research surveyed 1,608 UK consumers aged 15 to 54 in January 2008.