E-mail, IM and MP3 players are replacing peer-to-peer (P-to-P) technology as the preferred way of downloading songs and video, according to a new study by the Pew Internet & American Life Project.The study was released one week before the U.S. Supreme Court is to hear arguments in MGM vs. Grokster, a case that pits technology trade groups and consumer advocates against the entertainment industry, with technology companies arguing that P-to-P software, like many other technologies, has legal applications that should be allowed, IDG News Service reported.The tough stance taken by the Recording Industry Association of America, and the Motion Picture Industry Association to file lawsuits against downloaders of their products seems to be paying off as users look for other ways to access content, the Pew study suggests. “Current file downloaders are now more likely to say they use online music services like iTunes than they are to report using P-to-P services,” the study said. “The percentage of music downloaders who have tried paid services has grown from 24 percent in 2004 to 43 percent in our most recent survey. However, respondents may now be less likely to report peer-to-peer usage due to the stigma associated with the networks.”The survey of 1,421 U.S. adult Internet users found that informal file-sharing networks are used by 19 percent of music and video downloaders, with MP3 players, e-mail and IM (instant message) products popular mediums for transferring files between friends and family, the news service said. Around 27 percent of Internet users surveyed by Pew said they downloaded either music or video files over the Internet, and 48 percent of all those who downloaded said they use sources other than P-to-P networks or premium online services, such as Apple Computer’s iTunes, to get music or video files. Pew estimates that about 18 million Americans are swapping files using nontraditional means based on the survey results. Approximately 19 percent of the adult Internet users in the survey admitted to downloading files using an MP3 player, such as an Apple iPod. That translates into about 7 million adults, and is surprising, because products like the iPod are not designed to support file sharing between devices, said Mary Madden, a research specialist at Pew who wrote the report. Exchanging music and video files over e-mail or IM networks was even more common. Twenty-eight percent of downloaders, or an estimated 10 million adult Internet users in the U.S., said they got files that way. Other alternative sources included music and movie Websites, blogs and online review sites. Technology Industry