StatCounter is Freemium while NetApps is paid only; meaning that NetApps have a bias towards for-profit sites?

IE has a natural downward trend anyway, so the cited percentage drops should be taken in context:

• Italy: http://gs.statcounter.com/#browser-IT-monthly-200902-201003
• France: http://gs.statcounter.com/#browser-FR-monthly-200902-201003
• UK: http://gs.statcounter.com/#browser-GB-monthly-200902-201003

Germany showed a slight increase:

• http://gs.statcounter.com/#browser-DE-monthly-200902-201003

Not so, you can break down the StatCounter stats by country: http://gs.statcounter.com/#browser-CN-monthly-200810-200911 http://gs.statcounter.com/#browser-RU-monthly-200810-200911

http://gs.statcounter.com/#os-ww-daily-20080701-20090505 You can break it down by country or region

"It sees the move as a way of generating more money for the record industry, which would use it to discover new talent."

The self-reinforcing loop between capital and talent would be more efficient as a self reinforcing loop between consumer and talent. Of course that such a system of direct distribution would obsolate the record companies would violate the #1 tenet of neo-liberalism; More Money for Me!