25 | 09 | 2023

EUIPO Published the Study Examining Online Copyright Infringements in the European Union

Source: EUIPO, Online Copyright Infringement in the European Union Study (Films, Music, Publications, Software and TV, 2017-2022).

European Observatory on Infringements of Intellectual Property Rights at the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) published the Online Copyright Infringement in the European Union Study (Films, Music, Publications, Software and TV, 2017-2022).

Copyright infringements (piracy) in the digital environment pose a significant problem to rights holders in many industries based on copyright. The understanding of forms and means infringing copyright on the internet, which are also based on developed digital technologies, is crucial for adopting adequate strategies and measures to contribute to reducing these negative phenomena.

The analysis comprises data referring to the unauthorised use of films, music, television programmes, publications and software. The research includes also a separate part on live sports events and other events, considering the new Recommendation on combating online piracy of sports and other live events adopted by the European Commission on 4 May 2023. This Recommendation was adopted due to frequent unauthorised online transmission of live sports and cultural events, which infringe holders of copyright and related rights and other stakeholders doing business in these sectors. IPR infringers are using here all the more advanced means to enable unauthorised access to live online streaming to online users, e.g., through illicit IPTV services, applications or via websites. You can read more about these issues in a recent document published by the EUIPO, titled Live Event Piracy.

EUIPO’s Study on online copyright infringements comprises the results of research conducted in 27 Member States of the European Union (EU) and the United Kingdom.

Streaming, downloading, torrents and the so-called stream ripping software are highlighted as the most frequent methods of unauthorised access to copyrighted content.

The research analysed the number of accesses to pirated content per internet user in a month. The data show that access to pirated content per internet user in a month accounted for approximately 11.5 in 2017, to be substantially reduced to 5 by the beginning of 2021, and increased again to 7 by the end of 2022. Despite the increase, the number of accesses per user in a month was still by 40 % lower in December 2022 than in January 2017.

The increase in 2022 was caused by the increase in the number of unauthorised uses of television programmes. Namely, television content piracy represents almost one half (48 %) of all accesses to the websites with content infringing copyright or related rights in the EU during 2022.

According to the results of the research as conducted, film and music piracy is on a decrease, which was certainly contributed by wider accessibility of online services for legal use of this kind of copyrighted works, while there was a substantial increase in software and publications piracy recorded in 2022.

The piracy rate is influenced by economic and social factors, and GDP per capita of a Member State, population structure, youth unemployment etc. being here of significance.

The analysis shows data in tables and graphs for the EU Member States and trends in the reporting period according to individual issues that were the subject of the research (tables on pages 24, 25, 26, 36, 38 etc.).

The entire EUIPO’s Study is available here, and there is also an executive summary in Croatian.