Consumers are increasingly paying to access online content, as 10 percent of all U.S. Internet users are expected to pony up this year, according to a recent report from New York-based marketing research firm eMarketer. The report indicates that 15.7 million U.S. consumers -- or 10 percent of the online population -- will purchase online content in 2002, a number expected to rise to 21 million -- or 13 percent -- in 2003. Individual consumers will pay $3.8 billion worldwide for online content in 2002 and organizations $44 billion, adding up to nearly $50 billion by the end of this year. "The question of whether consumers are more willing to pay for online content has become largely irrelevant," said eMarketer senior analyst Ben Macklin. "The more appropriate question is whether businesses are any longer willing to offer online content and services for free. And the answer increasingly seems to be no." http://www.emarketer.com/products/report.php?content_on
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