Web video hosting sites similar to YouTube has severely impacted the porn industry, according to executives.   In 2009, DVD sales decreased by 20 percent, with Internet piracy playing a key role.

There are up to 1,000 “tubes” sites that either play pirated movies or amateur content. Industry leader Vivid Entertainment stated that it sends several hundreds of take down notices to websites that are pirating their content.

Source:  Jon Swartz, “Free porn on ‘tube sites’ puts a big dent in industry,” USA Today, March 2, 2010.

Creative industries in the United Kingdom claim that up to 50 percent of all Internet traffic in the country is file-sharing activities.

Source:  Robert Verkaik, “Internet piracy crackdown by US studios,” Independent, March 1, 2010.

Brand Protection firm MarkMonitor estimates that Internet sellers are earning $137 Billion a year from selling counterfeit goods online.

Source:  Warwick Ashford, “Online counterfeits pose risk to buyers and manufacturers,” Computer Weekly, January 26, 2010.

The United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced that more than 4,000 pieces of counterfeit NBA items worth an estimated $200,000 was seized during the NBA All-Star Weekend in Dallas, Texas.

Source:  Associated Press, “Nearly $200,000 in fake NBA gear seized,” NBC Sports, February 15, 2010.

The United States Immigration and Custom Enforcement reported that in the month leading up to the 2010 Super Bowl in South Florida, agents seized 8,165 counterfeit Super Bowl memorabilia worth an estimated $400,000.

Source:  Michael David Smith, “Feds seize $400,000 in counterfeit Super Bowl memorabilia,” Pro Football Talk, February 18, 2010.

The American Chamber of Commerce in Mexico reports that people in Mexico purchase counterfeit goods worth $75 Billion a year.

Source:  Jason Beaubien, “Pirated Goods Pose Huge Problems In Mexico,” NPR, February 16, 2010.

According to a survey done by pharmaceutical company Pfizer, 38 percent of Germans surveyed admitted to purchasing drugs without a prescription from black market sites online, the highest level in all of Europe.

Source:  “Kent laboratory finds growing counterfeit drugs market,” BBC News, February 17, 2010.

The counterfeit drugs market in Ireland is estimated to be worth $118 Million (86 Million Euros).

Source:  Eoin Burke-Kennedy, “Thousands buying medicines online,” Irish Times, February 16, 2010.

According to the European Alliance for Access to Safe Medicines, 62 percent of all medicines purchased online are either counterfeit or substandard.

Source:  Ben Hirschler, “Europeans spend billions on fake medicines: survey,” Reuters, February 15, 2010.

The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry estimated that for every song that is legally purchased, 20 songs are illegally downloaded from the Internet.

Source: Diane Bartz, “U.S. announces intellectual property watchdog,” Reuters, February 12, 2010.