Is MI5 covertly funding market research surveys for ISPs?

Not perhaps the most likely of allegations – I’m sure MI5 can commission its own research and ISPs don’t need MI5’s money to do their own market research either – but then that’s what the music industry lobbyists have been suggesting may be the case.

In a leaked circular about the Digital Economy Bill sent to music industry interests by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), the following comment features:

The debate has been given an extra twist with a Talk Talk sponsored survey today, which says that 71% of 18-34 year olds would continue to infringe copyright, in spite of the Bill provisions, and would use “undetectable methods” to do so. Whether MI5 helped pay for the survey is not clear.

For the record, it is not clear whether or not Mossad, the KGB, Millennium Elephant or my offshore chocolate amortisation fund have been funding such market research either.