New Studies on Copyright Levies – in Europe and worldwide

For a long time, the key players in the field of copyright levies – industry, associations, and collecting societies – remained relatively quiet in the public debate. Negotiations were held, legislative initiatives pursued, and court rulings monitored. However, individual companies received little support, and there was a lack of overview and perspective on developments. Now the players are becoming active again, studies are being prepared, and initiatives launched:

• A few months ago, the digital association Digital Europe once again presented the industry's position on copyright levies. This study therefore focuses more on these positions and on the long-standing alternatives to the existing levy systems. These alternatives form the basis for the association's current initiatives at national and European level.
  
  
• The European umbrella organisation IFRRO (International Federation of Reproduction Rights Organisations) recently renewed its comparative study on device and operator levies after almost ten years and presented it in Brussels on 30 June 2025. The publication is more than just an update; it underlines the continuing importance of the private copying system for the remuneration of artists and authors and thus also for the promotion of social and cultural activities as a whole.
  
  
• The umbrella organisation for collecting societies, CISAC (Confédération Internationale des Sociétés d'Auteurs et Compositeurs), will also update its very comprehensive and well-structured, but now hopelessly outdated study on the law and practice of remuneration for private copying before the end of this year (then available here). The data from the last study is more than five years old.

The publications show that increasingly comprehensive and complex studies are needed to cover the topic. In addition, much has changed in practice since the publication of the last CISAC study, for example. Almost all European levy systems have been continuously revised or even completely redesigned during this period. Above all, however, these and other studies and initiatives demonstrate the unbroken momentum of a compliance area in which new, innovative technologies are enabling increasingly intensive and diverse use of creative works. Copyright remuneration systems are constantly being adapted to this. This is necessary because use of creative works must be remunerated appropriately. However, the adjustments, for example to take account of cloud storage and refurbished devices, are not self-evident. On the contrary, they are controversial.

Against this background, it should be noted that carefully compiled, verified and independent overviews and analyses are also available in easily digestible portions. You can obtain all relevant information from 1cc in any level of detail you require. We are also happy to provide you with accompanying background information on individual countries, individual products and product groups or on specific legal and practical issues at any time.

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