Internet Piracy Shows Rapid Growth in the European Union
The European Intellectual Property Department released its latest half-year report, shedding light on the current trends of internet piracy in the European Union. The report, available here, focuses on copyright violations.
The report reveals that the decline in traffic on pirate sites, which had been observed for several years, came to a halt at the beginning of 2021. Data provided by the British company MUSO indicates a concerning trend.
According to the report, illegal watching of television content constitutes over half (48%) of all pirate activity. Additionally, 58% of users prefer streaming sites, while 32% rely on torrents to download episodes of their favorite series.
For the first time, the report includes data on piracy related to direct sports broadcasts, which saw a significant increase of 75% between the beginning of 2021 and the end of 2022.
However, the report also highlights the success of the music industry’s efforts in combating piracy, as musical piracy shows no signs of growth.
Contrary to previous suggestions by the Association of Cinematographers that the pandemic contributed to the growth of piracy, MUSO data indicates a decrease in pirate activity during the most stringent lockdowns, particularly in the cinema segment. This is attributed to users migrating to legal streaming platforms and seeking cheaper entertainment alternatives.
An interesting observation made in the report is the decrease in pirate activity in countries where there has been an expansion in the availability of legal streaming services. The report also identifies economic factors that influence piracy’s popularity, such as per capita income, income inequality, and youth unemployment rates.
Although internet piracy is currently lower than its peak in 2017, concerns arise regarding the potential impact of increasing prices for streaming services, which could lead to a resurgence of piracy.
The data provided by MUSO is derived from monitoring pirate sites and official statistics, including Eurostat and studies conducted by the EUIPO intellectual property perception. However, it should be noted that the report does not account for