The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) has released a snapshot of worldwide access to telecommunications in 2011. A full third of the global population now has internet access, up from only eighteen percent five years ago. Furthermore, the developing world now houses the majority of internet users, with broadband access increasing as well. More remarkably, a majority of developing world internet users now reside outside of India and China.
This growth in access has profound consequences. Much of the international focus on internet piracy and intellectual property issues has centered on countries like China and India. While these states remain important players in piracy, the growth in other developing country access multiplies opportunities for internet piracy.
While Congress debates SOPA, and while country specific efforts in India and China attempt to limit internet piracy, the global proliferation of internet access at broadband speeds may necessitate a multilateral approach to combat internet piracy. Whether or not the international community can reach consensus on a unified approach to internet piracy, however, remains to be seen.