An article in today's Age is a pertinent and timely reminder to the many young adults who struggle with file-sharing entertainment.

The download dilemma
The Age, 9th June 2011

"As we continue to freely download shows before they hit our screens, TV networks, studios and ISPs ponder the implications.

Nick (not his real name) is a 25-year-old Melburnian who works in information technology. Though he watches very little free-to-air television and doesn't subscribe to pay TV, his repertoire of TV programs is thorough and up to date.

He gets all his TV shows free via the internet.

Monday is download day as most of his favourite shows - animations such as Family Guy, American Dad!, Bob's Burgers - premiere in the US the day before.

Nick is, of course, a pirate and knows it. His motivation isn't a grudge against the wealthy studios and corporations that own the film and TV business. He recognises, too, that he is jeopardising the livelihood of content creators.

He consumes TV this way because he doesn't like ads, doesn't want spoilers on websites or fellow fans to ruin his watching and finds one-stop shopping to be very convenient, akin to visiting the library to stock up on one's weekly reading roster.

A few months ago, he received his first ''takedown'' notice from his internet service provider. The letter stated that someone associated with his internet protocol address had downloaded copyright content through a peer-to-peer service.

Nick considered the letter to be a ''hassle'' rather than a threat, but after receiving a second letter he found an alternative way to access programs. This method, he says, cannot be detected.

According to the statistics on film and TV piracy, Nick is the rule rather than the exception. The Intellectual Property Awareness Foundation recently found that close to 70 per cent of 18 to 24-year-olds ''regularly participate'' in film or TV piracy activities...."

Click here to read the full article on The Age's website.