The IPO has published the tenth edition of its tracking study into the extent of online copyright infringement, digital behaviours and attitudes among people aged 12+ in the UK.
This 10th wave of the IPO's large-scale consumer tracking survey continues work originally commissioned by Ofcom and sponsored by the IPO in 2012. The study is conducted annually to ensure that the IPO can monitor the impact of new online platforms on infringement behaviours.
Wave 10 was delivered by AudienceNet on behalf of the IPO.
The IPO notes that this wave of the research asked about a period markedly different from previous years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. For much of the time period respondents were asked to reflect on (i.e. the previous three months) and during the time of fieldwork, the UK (and much of the world) was in a state of lockdown. Many data points, perhaps as a result, appear to have shifted when compared to last year's study.
Overall the survey showed that:
- consumption (i.e. downloading or streaming content online) was consistent across a number of categories compared to last year; there were some key differences which included a decline in the proportion of the sample that had downloaded music and TV; there was also a decline in the proportion who had streamed live sport and an increase in those streaming films;
- passion for the content categories remained robust during the COVID-19 pandemic with respondents agreeing that many of them played a central role in their lives;
- the main drivers for online consumption were cost, the choice available and the convenience of being able to consume content whenever they want; and
- the overall level of infringement for all content categories (excluding digital visual images) was at 23%, which is 2% lower than where it had been for the previous four years.
To access the survey, click here.
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