A Quarter of Young Europeans Access Digital Content Illegally

LONDON: About 25 percent of Europeans between the ages of 15 and 24 intentionally use illegal sources to access digital content, with films and TV series being the most pilfered type of content, according to a new report from the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO).

The study, which surveyed young people in each of the 28 EU Member States, also found that nearly one in four believed that they were doing nothing wrong in accessing digital content from illegal sources for personal use, while a third considered that content from illegal sources was easier to find and quicker to access than content from legal sources. In fact, six out of ten young Europeans said they would stop using illegal sources if more affordable content from legal sources was available.

On a country-by-country basis, 34 percent of youths in France have intentionally used illegal sources to access online content, with 19 percent admitting to doing the same in the U.K. That number is 21 percent in Italy, 33 percent in Spain and 18 percent in Germany.

António Campinos, the EUIPO’s executive director, said: “This study helps us to understand young digital natives, to explore how they behave online and to measure the scale of the challenge in changing their attitudes. I trust it will support our collective efforts to develop IP education and awareness initiatives which can connect with young Europeans, as well as providing valuable information for policy makers.”