Digital piracy witnessed a surprising 3.3 percent surge in 2022, marking a reversal in the downward trend observed in previous years, reports the EU Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) in its latest publication, ‘Online Copyright Infringement in the European Union, Films, Music, Publications, Software and TV, 2017-2022.’ The report, the third in a series, delves into the evolution of online copyright infringements in EU member states and the UK, analyzing access to pirated films, TV shows, music, software, and publications from January 2017 to December 2022, GlobalLegalPost reported.
Measured as the number of monthly accesses per internet user to illegal content, piracy had been on a gradual decline until 2021 when the trend abruptly shifted, manifesting as a 3.3 percent increase in 2022. Primarily fuelled by pirated TV shows, series, films, and manga publications, TV piracy accounted for a substantial 48 percent of all accesses to infringing sites in the EU in 2022. The most targeted genres included television shows, series, on-demand movies, anime productions (series and films), and live streams of sports events and dedicated sports channels.
Piracy of publications, the second-largest source of infringement after television, experienced a surge since January 2021. Manga comic books dominated this category, followed by audiobooks and e-books. The report scrutinized piracy trends during the Covid-19 crisis, revealing distinct patterns for 2020 and 2021, likely linked to the pandemic. Film and TV piracy declined during the pandemic, while software and publications witnessed a significant upswing in 2022.
On average, each EU internet user accessed websites offering copyright-infringing content about 10 times per month at the end of 2022. Notably, piracy rates varied among member states, with Estonia and Latvia exhibiting the highest rates at almost 25 accesses per user per month, while Germany, Italy, and Poland showcased the lowest rates at around 7.5 accesses.
Christian Archambeau, the executive director of the EUIPO, emphasized the persistent threat of copyright infringement to Europe’s creative industries.
“The new study shows that there is still much work to do to tackle piracy. Stopping this phenomenon is complex as piracy is continuously evolving with technology. This is why understanding the underlying mechanisms of piracy is essential to adopt effective policies and measures that contribute to reducing it,” said Christian Archambeau.
With a keen interest in tech, I make it a point to keep myself updated on the latest developments in technology and gadgets. That includes smartphones or tablet devices but stretches to even AI and self-driven automobiles, the latter being my latest fad. Besides writing, I like watching videos, reading, listening to music, or experimenting with different recipes. The motion picture is another aspect that interests me a lot, and I'll likely make a film sometime in the future.
