For years, the willingness of Internet users to pay for information has been the subject of much anxiety, speculation and investment on the part of companies. A recent study finds that consumers have been willing to spend, although the sums spent are relatively low.

Nearly two-thirds of users have paid for content online, according to a telephone survey by the Pew Internet and American Life Project. Of those, roughly half have spent money on music and half on software, the two most popular types of material bought. But the amount spent was typically only about $10 a month, Pew said. (That is a weighted average.)

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