We learn on John Buckman's blog that the RIAA bases its propaganda on sales-in data (to the channel) rather than sales-out (to end customers). Which makes sense since they're in the forcefeeding-down-your-throat-with-threats business rather than please-buy-me-I'll-be-nice-to-you business. Who cares about the end customer (or rather, the consumer, a word which literally means we're meant to ultimately ingest and destroy the products we buy).