The AP and Ars Technica and about a hundred other news sites are covering the MPAA’s admission this week that its commissioned study on P2P movie* piracy contained inaccurate data — almost a 30 point error in the calculations. One of many, many things that’s wrong with the entire MPAA study saga — from 2005 through to this minute — is that there has been no shoulder-to-shoulder community response from the leaders of the high tech industry analyst firms.
Background: MPAA had the study conducted in 2005 by LEK Consulting. The MPAA has been using findings from the study for political lobbying, public positioning, industry positioning — basically, every possible use for a set of “proof points”. They never released the methodology or raw data, and so no credible source could refute the findings in a point-counterpoint manner. Many credible sources did express concern, individually, about the accuracy of the data points that were released.
Granted, you can pass this off as another example of what a well financed organization can get away with when they hand off “facts” from a confidential research study to a bevvy of lawyers, lobbyists, and PR specialists. Plus, LEK Consulting is a custom research company, not an industry analyst firm.
But look again. What’s at issue here is a research study into consumer tech behaviors, devices, services, and content. Points of debate include questionable data gathering methods, questionable data analysis and conclusions, and questionable uses of data. This is the industry analysts’ backyard.
Consider the impact a joint statement would have carried, if signed by the companies recognized for their expertise in technology market research: Gartner, Forrester, IDC, Burton Group, Info-Tech Research Group, Informa TM, JupiterResearch, M:Metrics, Parks Associates, RedMonk, Juniper Research, NPD Group, Yankee Group, and tens to hundreds of reputable high tech research firms and indies.
Cooperating on a common position statement would have made a big impact. It could be a single statement presenting divergent viewpoints. However, speaking one at a time, as though no other analyst exists on the planet, had no visible impact whatsoever.
I’m not calling for pandemic love among analyst firms worldwide. I am saying that cooperating for the good of the public is good for business.
* Original post corrected from “music” to “movie” - BF
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