Copyright issues in the audiovisual industry

The project addresses topical copyright issues in the audiovisual industry as well as the importance of copyright as an incentive for creative work and business. The goal is to study the views on the copyright system’s operation and to map out the needs for the system’s development.

The organization of licensing markets for audiovisual works can be challenged by the complexities of the copyright legislation, the variety of agreement practices, a high level of internationalization, and the involvement of multiple actors with copyright claims in the audiovisual productions. This situation creates licensing and administrative difficulties that can impair the creation, production and availability of audiovisual works.

The research focuses on a selection of emerging copyright issues in the audiovisual industry and discusses the role and importance of the copyright system in the audiovisual industry. The aim is to study the industry's views and experiences on copyright and to map out the system's most pressing development needs.

After identifying the most critical development needs in the industry through desktop research and expert interviews, the study focuses on selected topical issues in the industry, describing current copyright-related problems, analyzing the situation from the viewpoints of all stakeholder categories, and offering proposals for the development of the copyright system.

The project is implemented in 2021–2022.

The research project is part of Cupore’s continuous assessment of the Finnish copyright system based on themes changing each year. The goal of the assessment is to increase the transparency of the copyright system, add to the general understanding of the system’s operation and support fact-based decision-making.