Canadians are being "forced" to illegally download movies, according to a new study conducted by Canadian research firm Advanis Inc. A lack of legal download services in the country is at the root of this trend, the study implies, which suggests that 93% of Canadians downloading movies are doing so without proper compensation to copyright holders. This is compared to 79% of US downloaders doing the same thing – a gap that the study suggests can be explained by the availability of subscription-based movie download services. "Many of these downloads are taking place because of the lack of legal alternatives," said Phil Dwyer, executive VP of sales and marketing for Advanis. "The market is more mature in the US, and the experience there shows that if you give consumers a legal, convenient and fairly-priced alternative to piracy, the majority will use it." The study's findings are based on a survey of 529 online Canadians that was conducted in early February.

Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need.

Take a free trial or subscribe to The Wire Report now.