Are people losing their fear of being sued by the recording industry? Could be.

The number of people downloading music illegally has gone up just one month after recording companies -- through the Recording Industry Association of American -- began suing music fans.

LISTEN NOW Some legal options for downloading digital music. Services offer per-tune pricing, as well as subscriptions. Make sure your service is compatible with your device. iTunes Music Store Music.MSN Yahoo Music Napster BuyMusic WalMart Downloads Emusic Listen

The NPD Group says the number of U.S. households downloading music from peer-to-peer networks rose 6 percent in October and 7 percent in November -- reversing a six-month decline.

Previous surveys dating back to May -- when 20 million people said they were downloading music from file-sharing networks -- showed a steady decline in the number of file-sharers.

The group pointed out to News.com that while there's a trend toward more use, the overall level is still lower than before the RIAA started filing lawsuits.

The RIAA has filed more than 300 lawsuits, as well as holding an amnesty period for those it notified it was about to act against.

An official with NPD speculates that the apparent increase in music file-sharing could be seasonal. The RIAA had been encouraged recently by early success for legitimate, industry-affiliated music services, such as Apple's iTunes Music store and a relaunched Napster.

Results in the NPD report were based on software that tracks the online behavior of 40,000 people, as well as surveys.