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Facebook The Finnish public has generally positive opinions on the copyright system
In 2019-2020, the Center for Cultural Policy Research Cupore conducted study on the use of creative content in the digital environment, where the general public has increasingly taken different roles not just as end-users, but also as intermediaries and creators of works.
According to the survey, a clear majority of Finns consider copyright legislation necessary, a view shared by those who have used content without authorization. However, half of the Finns feel, at least to some extent, that copyright protection should only extend to commercial use. The majority of Finns access and use copyrighted content online, especially among younger age groups, and over one third have produced creative content and shared it on the Internet. Among those, half have used creative content produced by others as part of their own content.
Nearly a third of all Finns and around half of those under the age of 45 admit that they have at some point either used unauthorized content available on the internet or copied or downloaded copyrighted content online without authorization. Our survey found that better access to lawful content has clearly reduced the unauthorized use in recent years. At the same time, a perceived lack of lawfully available products and services, as well as quick and easy access to unauthorized content, are the most frequently reported reasons for unauthorized use.
Half of the Finns evaluate their copyright knowledge as either good or relatively good, with younger age groups estimating their knowledge to be better than older age groups. However, there remains some uncertainty on the permissibility of certain uses, especially regarding follow-on creation. According to the Finns, the copyright system should be made clearer and information on copyright and authorized uses should be available in a format that is easy to understand and practical.
A new publication now presents the main results of this study in English. The purpose of the fact booklet is to present the most important findings in a short and accessible format. It covers various themes separately, including copyright knowledge, unauthorized use of copyrighted content and motives of use, follow-on creation based on pre-existing works, and perceptions and opinions on the copyright system. Based on the findings, practical suggestions are made on how to improve the copyright system in the digital age.
Read the new fact booklet on Cupore’s website:
The fact booklet is also available in Finnish.
Contact:
Researcher Katja Oksanen-Särelä
katja.oksanen-sarela@cupore.fi
Tel. +358 50 505 6414
or
Researcher Nathalie Lefever
Tel. +358 50 304 8761
Since 2018 Cupore has been assessing the operation of the Finnish copyright system on the basis of annually changing themes. The study at hand is a part of this continuous assessment work, which is based on a methodological framework developed at Cupore.
