OTTAWA - Canadians illegally download 14 music CDs or other files from the Internet for every file they take from the web legally, suggests a new poll.

The illegal downloading has cost retail music stores more than half a billion dollars in lost sales since 1999, estimates a study by Pollara for the recording industry. While some observers believe Internet piracy is a widespread phenomenon, most illegal file swapping is done by younger Canadians, says the Pollara report.

Canadians between 12 and 24 years of age are responsible for 78 per cent of illegal music downloading, even though they make up just 21 per cent of the population, says the polling agency.

The effect of the piracy, however, doesn't stop at just music or movies, suggests a study from another polling firm.

Canadians between the ages of 18 and 29 are much more willing than other age groups to make illegal copies of software programs, cheat on exams or even shoplift, suggests an Environics poll.

Nearly 27 per cent of younger people surveyed said they would consider cheating on a test or exam, compared with 10 per cent of the general population.

Of those asked, six per cent of younger Canadians said they would leave a store without paying for a piece of clothing, compared with two per cent of the population at large.

"Not only does music file-swapping harm artists, but it also points to an erosion of respect for intellectual property that threatens Canada's economy and values at the core of our society," said Graham Henderson, president of the Canadian Recording Industry Association, which commissioned the polls.

"The 'if it's there, it's free' thinking extends far beyond entertainment products and software to ideas themselves," Henderson added, noting a rise in plagiarism in schools and universities.

The association launched a national campaign Thursday to protect and promote so-called "products of the mind."

The campaign comes in advance of public hearings this fall on new federal copyright legislation, Bill C-60.

A number of legal experts have criticized the legislation, warning that it fails to protect the public interest and is primarily geared toward satisfying special-interest groups.

The University of Ottawa hosted a summit Thursday on Bill C-60, with representatives of both Industry Canada and Canadian Heritage, the two departments jointly responsible for the legislation.

Among the Pollara findings:

-12 to 17 year olds are the most likely to strongly agree that "artists are too rich already so downloading won't hurt them."

-37 per cent of respondents used a CD burner to record music within the last six months, up from 18 per cent in 2001.

The Environics findings suggest:

-60 per cent of Canadians aged 18-29 are willing to download music from the Internet without paying for it, compared with 29 per cent of the general population.

-half of young people believe it's all right to illegally download music because others do it too.

Pollara's findings are based on a national telephone survey of more than 1,200 Canadians aged 12 and over between June 24 and July 12.

The firm says the results are accurate to within plus or minus 2.5 percentage points, 19 out of 20 times.

Environics polled just over 1,000 Canadians aged 18 or over by telephone, and another 1,043 Canadians online in May 2005.

It says the findings are accurate to within plus or minus 3.1 percentage points, 19 out of 20 times.