The average number of simultaneous users on P2P networks inched up again in June, reaching 8.9 million according to figures from BigChampagne.
That is a modest 2.6 percent increase over May, and a substantial 20.1 percent jump over the same period last year. US users accounted for about 75 percent of the global total, with both figures closely aligned. The increase is notable heading into the summer months, which normally produce a drop in P2P traffic. That seasonal effect could confuse any effect that the recent MGM v. Grokster decision has on overall volume, though so far there has not been a notable dip. Overall, P2P traffic levels have been steadily increasing over the past few years. Current levels are now double what they were in September, 2003, when the RIAA first initiated lawsuits against individual file-sharers.