Russians largely unwilling to pay for online content
October 21, 2013
By Colin Mann
Barely a quarter of Russian Internet users are prepared to pay for online content, according to the findings of a survey conducted by Public Opinion Foundation.
The survey, published to coincide with Russian Internet Week 2013 in Moscow, suggested that 25 per cent of respondents were ready to pay for watching or downloading movies. Twenty-two per cent said they would pay for music, while 26 per cent were prepared to spend money on books, the survey showed.
In recent months, Russia has beefed up its Internet regulations, in August introducing a law against online film piracy that will be expanded by the end of the year to cover all forms of copyright infringement.
The survey, conducted in mid-September among 1,000 respondents over 18 years old, also indicated that 80 per cent of active online users had heard about the anti-piracy legislation. Thirty-four per cent support the law, while 49 per cent are opposed to it. Sixteen per cent were undecided.