European citizens and intellectual property : perception, awareness and behaviour 2020.
Date: 2020-11-20
Institutions: European Union Intellectual Property Office
Subjects: computer piracy, digital content, industrial counterfeiting, intellectual property, legislation, report

EUROPEAN CITIZENS AND INTELLECTUAL 
PROPERTY: PERCEPTION, AWARENESS, AND 
BEHAVIOUR – 2020 

NOVEMBER 2020 
14 OCTOBER 2020 

 
 
 
 
 
EUROPEAN CITIZENS AND INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY: 
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EUROPEAN CITIZENS AND INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY: 
PERCEPTION, AWARENESS, AND BEHAVIOUR 2020 

This survey has been commissioned by the EUIPO to Deloitte  

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Table of Contents 

Foreword .............................................................................................................................. 5 

Executive summary ............................................................................................................. 6 

1. 

Introduction ................................................................................................................. 14 

1.1  Survey methodology .................................................................................................... 14 

1.2  Literature review ........................................................................................................... 17 

2. 

Intellectual property – Awareness and opinions ...................................................... 21 

2.1  General understanding of the concept of IP ............................................................... 21 

2.2  Understanding of the benefits of IP ............................................................................ 23 

3.  Counterfeit goods – Opinions and consumption ..................................................... 27 

3.1  Opinions on counterfeit goods .................................................................................... 27 

3.2  Consumption of counterfeit goods ............................................................................. 30 

3.3  Reasons for buying or not buying counterfeit goods ................................................ 34 

4.  Pirated online content – Opinions and consumption .............................................. 37 

4.1  Consumption of pirated online content ...................................................................... 40 

4.2  Reasons for using, or not using, pirated online content ........................................... 45 

5.  Legal sources of online content – Awareness and opinions .................................. 47 

5.1  Awareness of legal offers ............................................................................................ 47 

5.2  Opinions on legal offers ............................................................................................... 48 

Conclusion ......................................................................................................................... 51 

Annex 1: Questionnaire ..................................................................................................... 54 

Annex 2: Literature review studies................................................................................... 61 

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COUNTRY CODES 

BE  Belgium 

BG  Bulgaria 

CZ  Czechia 

DK  Denmark 

DE  Germany 

EE  Estonia 

IE 

Ireland 

EL  Greece 

ES  Spain 

FR  France 

HR  Croatia 

IT 

Italy 

CY  Cyprus 

LV  Latvia 

LT 

Lithuania 

LU  Luxembourg 

HU  Hungary 

MT  Malta 

NL  Netherlands 

AT  Austria 

PL  Poland 

PT  Portugal 

RO  Romania 

SI 

Slovenia 

SK  Slovakia 

FI 

Finland 

SE  Sweden 

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FOREWORD 

This updated major study of how IP rights are perceived by EU citizens is a unique roadmap for all the EU 
countries when it comes to counterfeiting and piracy attitudes and behaviours.  

Now in its third edition, it shows a gradual but encouraging change in understanding and attitudes, following 
the previous surveys by the EUIPO in 2013 and 2017.  

As in the previous editions, this EU-wide study confirms that the vast majority of citizens agree that it is 
important that those who invest time and money in innovation have their rights protected and are paid for 
their work.  

This time, there is a particularly large increase in respect for artists and creators. In addition, people are 
gradually saying that they have a better understanding of IP rights, which is an important finding, given the 
evidence that those who understand these rights are less likely to deliberately infringe them. 

There has been a slight drop from 7% to 5% for intentional purchase of counterfeits and from 10% to 8% 
for intentional piracy. Young people continue to be the biggest group that buy counterfeits and download 
illegally, showing there is more work to be done here, especially since this group comprise the heaviest 
users of the internet. At the same time the trend to perceive the purchase of counterfeits as harmful to 
people’s image continues to rise – up from 12% to 17% in the current study. 

While the study does not enter into why counterfeits are now perceived more negatively, this trend is likely 
to be reinforced by the public backlash against fake medicines and personal protective equipment during 
the Covid-19 crisis. 

As  regards  downloads,  people  are  now  more  willing  to  pay  for  legal  content  particularly  if  it  is  made 
available at a reasonable price. Part of this change may be linked to the increase in availability of legal 
sources. People are paying more for legal content as the quality and diversity improves. They are also 
checking more frequently whether the sites they use are legal or not. 

These changes, and the reasons behind them, deserve to be closely studied and this updated report will 
continue to be an important resource for researchers, IP professionals and policymakers alike. 

The details will help stakeholders at the national level to combat IP crime and provide a benchmark shaping 
future public awareness strategies for the EUIPO and in the EU generally. 

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 

This  report  presents  the  findings  of  the  2020  study  on  ‘European  Citizens  and  Intellectual  Property: 
Perception, Awareness and Behaviour’ (2020 IP Perception study). The overarching aim of this study is to 
gather  knowledge  on  Europeans’  attitudes  towards  intellectual  property  (IP),  the  degree  to  which  they 
respect these rights, and the concept that they have of IP as a whole. More specifically, the study serves 
as a monitoring tool of public opinion with regards to: 

1) 
2) 
3) 
4) 

general knowledge and perception of IP; 
awareness of the value of IP and the damage caused by infringements; 
counterfeit goods and pirated online content, and the reasons for buying or using these (or not); 
the availability and quality of offers of legal online content at European Union (EU) and at national 
level. 

In total, 25 636 interviews were conducted with EU residents aged 15 and above. The questionnaire was 
largely similar to the previous study to allow for comparable results. Modifications were integrated into the 
questionnaire to further explore relationships between perception and behaviour. 

Understanding of the concept of intellectual property is high. Those who do not infringe IP rights are more 
likely to have a very/rather good understanding of the concept than those who engage in behaviours that 
infringe IP. 

Subjective understanding of the concept of ‘intellectual property’ remains high at 80 % (+ 2 percentage 
points (pp) in comparison with the 2017 study), though it varied substantially across countries. As in the 
previous  two  studies,  the  youngest  respondents  show  the  least  subjective  understanding  of  IP  in 
comparison to the older age groups (71 %). 

Awareness of IP is considerably below average among those who intentionally bought counterfeit goods 
(70 %) or accessed pirated online content (73 %), suggesting that that those with a low understanding of 
IP are more likely to infringe it. 

Understanding the concept of intellectual property and infringing it 

Very good + rather good understanding of the term 
 ‘intellectual property’ among those who… 

buy counterfeit 
goods intentionally 

don’t buy counterfeit 
goods intentionally 

access illegal sources for 
digital content 
intentionally 

don’t access illegal 
sources for digital 
content intentionally 

It is almost universal that those in Europe recognise the value of protecting IP, as was the case in 2017, 
though few see the benefit being for people like themselves. Whilst protecting IP may be seen as 
something mostly beneficial to famous performing artists and big companies, there has been a doubling 
of those who believe that protecting IP is most beneficial for the creators of artistic content. 

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The value of protecting IP is recognised across Europe. The consensus (98 %) is that it is important that 
inventors, creators and artists are able to protect their rights and be paid for their work, as was the case in 
the previous study (97 %). Similarly, the view of the role of IP in economic stability remains stable with 
73 % agreeing that if there was no longer any IP protection, there would be economic chaos. 

While perception of the value of protecting IP may be high, few Europeans (4 %) believe that IP mainly 
benefits people like themselves. Many still believe that IP mainly benefits the ‘elite’, such as famous artists 
and big companies – though the perception of big companies benefiting has dropped 9 percentage points 
since the last study. 

Furthermore, the proportion of Europeans who think that IP is most beneficial to creators of artistic content 
has doubled, from 10 % in 2017 to 20 % in 2020, although it should be stressed that two more categories 
were added to this question item in 2020 (‘authors/writers’ and ‘filmmakers’). Almost no one felt that nobody 
benefits from IP (2 %). 

Who benefits the most from IP protection? (1) 

Famous performing artists 

21 % (0) 

Creators of artistic content 

20 % (+10) 

Big companies 

Consumers like yourself 

15 % (-9) 

4 % (-1) 

The majority believe that counterfeits have a negative effect on the economy in terms of business and jobs. 

Europeans tend to be aware of the negative effects of counterfeit goods on the economy and health and 
safety. The economic argument against buying counterfeits continues to hold the most weight – 83 % in 
2020 agree that buying counterfeit goods ruins businesses and jobs. 

There  is  a  continued  rejection  of  justifications  that  would  make  the  purchase  of  counterfeit  goods 
acceptable. 

As  was  the  case  in  2017,  most Europeans  do  not agree with  the arguments  justifying  the  purchase  of 
counterfeit goods. Only a small minority of EU citizens see valid reasons for buying counterfeit goods. For 
example, just 15 % of Europeans ‘totally’ or ‘tend to’ agree that it is acceptable to buy counterfeit luxury 
products. This disapproval of purchasing counterfeit goods has increased somewhat since the last study. 

However, disapproval of purchasing counterfeits is not the same among all demographics. Young people 
(under 24 years old) are more likely to agree with justifications for purchasing counterfeit goods. 30 % of 
these young people ‘agree/tend to agree’ that it is acceptable to buy counterfeit luxury products – double 
the  average  EU  population.  37 %  of  this  demographic  believe  it  is  acceptable  to  purchase  counterfeits 
when the price of the original product is too high, compared to 24 % of all the people surveyed. 

(1) Source: Q2: In your opinion, who benefits the most from the protection of intellectual property? (Total base; n= 25 636). TREND 
QUESTION. 

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Few admit to intentionally purchasing counterfeit goods, in line with the 2013 findings. Those who have 
purchased counterfeits, are far more likely to agree with statements that justify it as acceptable. 

The  declared  purchase  of  counterfeit  goods  is  low.  The  proportion  of  Europeans  who  admit  to  having 
intentionally purchased counterfeit goods during the last 12 months has declined slightly, from 7 % in 2017, 
to 5 % in 2020, bringing it more in line with the figure observed in 2013 (4 %). 

As  was  the  case  in  the  previous  study,  younger  people  are  more  likely  to  admit  having  purchased 
counterfeits intentionally – 10 % of those aged between 15 and 24 admitted this – double the European 
average. Buying counterfeits and accessing  pirated  online content are related, with 30 % of those who 
intentionally accessed pirated content online having purchased counterfeit goods. 

Bought counterfeit products intentionally (2) 

15-24 y.o. 

15-24 y.o. 

15-24 y.o. 

Of those who intentionally accessed 
pirated content online have purchased 
counterfeit goods 

Those who admit to intentionally purchasing counterfeits are likely to indicate that this can be justified. Two 
thirds (64 %) of those who say they bought counterfeits intentionally, feel that it is acceptable to do so when 
the price of the original and authentic product is too high. Only slightly fewer (58 %) of those who bought 
counterfeits intentionally feel it is acceptable to do so when the original product is not (or not yet) available 
where they live. 

Consistent with the last study, a sizeable minority have wondered whether something they have bought 
was a genuine product or a counterfeit. Purchase of counterfeits as a result of being misled also remains 
low. 

A third of Europeans (33 %) have wondered during the last 12 months whether a product they bought was 
original or not, down from 37 % in 2017. About 1 out of 10 (9 %) were misled into buying counterfeits during 
the previous year, a figure that has remained more or less stable since 2017 (- 1pp). There is an observable 
over-representation of young people among those who bought counterfeits because they were misled – 
12 % compared to the 9 % average. 

(2) Source: Q4a: During the past 12 months, which of the following have you done? - Bought counterfeit products intentionally (Total 
base; n= 25 636). TREND QUESTION. 

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Cost matters but has declined in importance as a reason to stop buying counterfeits. Reputational damage 
is a bigger deterrent compared to the previous study. 

The availability of affordable genuine products remains the main reason that would make  consumers of 
counterfeit goods stop this habit; about half (52 %) of those buying counterfeits say this would make them 
stop.  Compared  to  2017,  the  availability  of  affordable  products  is  now,  in  absolute  terms,  less  of  an 
important driver for stopping people’s purchase of counterfeit goods (- 10pp), although it is still the most 
important one. This is the case across socio-demographic groups. The risk of punishment is an important 
driver for young people to stop buying counterfeits, with 46 % of those aged between 15 and 24 who bought 
counterfeits reporting this. 

Reputational damage is more compelling compared to 2017, as more respondents (17 %; + 5pp) who have 
intentionally  purchased  counterfeits,  state  that  harm  to  their  image  would  stop  them  purchasing 
counterfeits. 

Affordability is also a reason behind the decision not to purchase counterfeits. However, those who do not 
intentionally buy counterfeit goods are more driven by their understanding of the harm caused to producers, 
jobs and the economy compared to those who have bought counterfeits. 

In the current survey, for the first time, those who replied that they did not buy counterfeit goods intentionally 
during  the  last  12 months  were  asked  about  their  main  reasons  for  not  doing  so.  The  availability  of 
affordable original products is their main reason for not buying counterfeits. However, compared to those 
who did buy counterfeits intentionally, those who did not, are significantly more likely to have not done so 
because of their understanding of the harm caused to producers, jobs and the economy – respectively 
48 % and 41 % of those not buying counterfeits mentioned these to be key reasons, compared to 24 % of 
those buying counterfeits. This suggests that awareness of the negative effects is related to the buying (or 
not) of counterfeit goods. 

Having had a bad personal experience with buying counterfeits seems to have an impact on young people. 
Young  people  who  did  not  buy  counterfeit  goods  intentionally  in  the  past  12 months,  usually  avoided 
counterfeits because they had had a bad personal experience buying them in the past – 31 % of those 
aged between 15 and 24 reported this, compared to 23 % of all respondents. At the same time, younger 
respondents are less likely to mention not buying counterfeits because of their understanding of the harm 
caused to producers, jobs and the economy (42 % and 34 % of those aged between 15 and 24 mention 
this as the key driver for not buying counterfeits). 

Acceptance of using illegal sources to access digital content for personal use is falling dramatically, whilst 
the percentage that believe it is acceptable if there is no legal alternative remains steady. 

Accessing  pirated  online  content  is  less  and less  acceptable.  Following  a  small  decrease  in  2017,  this 
study sees an overall decline of 15 percentage points since 2013 in the proportion of people in the EU that 
believe it is acceptable to obtain online content illegally if it is for personal use. At the same time, 28 % 
state that obtaining online content via illegal sources is acceptable if there is no legal alternative available. 

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Attitude towards pirated online content (3) 

Totally agree + tend to agree 

It is acceptable to obtain content
illegally from the internet when it is for
my personal use

It is acceptable to obtain content
illegally from the internet when there is
no immediately available legal
alternative

27%

37%

43%

28%

32%

23%

2020

2017

2013

No matter the type of online content, awareness of legal offers is significantly higher in 2020 compared to 
3 years ago. 

More than two-thirds of those in Europe are aware of the availability of legal offers for three categories of 
online content: films, music and TV series. Younger demographics are the most aware of legal offers for 
music, films, TV series and video games. 

The  preference  to  choose  legal  sources  continues  to  grow  when  those  legal  options  are  affordable. 
Furthermore, both the quality and diversity of content offered on legal services is increasingly viewed as 
being superior to that found on illegal sources. 

Europeans have a clear preference for legal online content, if reasonably priced. The clear majority (89 %) 
‘totally agree’ or ‘tend to agree’ with the statement ‘Whenever there is an affordable legal option, I prefer 
to  access/download/stream  content  through  authorised  platforms  and  do  not  access/download/stream 
illegally’. 

Opinions are also positive regarding the quality and diversity of content offered by legal services. Notably, 
more than three quarters (76 %) ‘totally agree’ or ‘tend to agree’ that the quality of content offered by legal 
services is better than what can be found through illegal sources. There is a significant rise in the proportion 
agreeing that the quality of legal services is better compared to illegal sources since the first study in 2013 
for this survey. 

The proportion who have a preference for legal online content, if affordable, has also increased over the 
years by 9 percentage points. Whilst still the most convincing motivation to choose legal options,  since 
2013, the increase in those agreeing with this statement has not been as dramatic as the increase in the 
percentage of those who agree that the quality (+ 22pp) and diversity (+ 14pp) of content offered by legal 
services is better than what can be found through illegal sources. 

(3)  Source:  Q3:  Please  tell  me  if  you  totally  agree,  tend  to  agree,  agree,  tend  to  disagree  or  totally  disagree  with  the  followin g 
statements: (Total base; n= 25 636). TREND QUESTION. 

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Opinions on legal offers, trend since 2013 (4) 

Whenever there is an affordable legal
option I prefer to access/download/stream
content through authorised platforms and
do not access/download/stream illegally

The diversity of content offered by legal
services is better than what can be found
through illegal offers

The quality of content offered by legal
services is better than what can be found
through illegal solutions

Totally agree + tend to agree 

89%

83%

80%

64%

54%

50%

76%

69%

54%

2020
2017
2013

Paying for online content from legal sources has become far more widespread. 

The  preference  to  use  legal  sources  for  digital  content  is  illustrated  by  the  significant  growth  in  the 
proportion  that  have  actually  paid  to  access  content  from  legal  sources  online.  More  than  4  out  of  10 
Europeans  (42 %)  have  paid  to  access,  download  or  stream  copyright-protected  content  from  a  legal 
service on the internet, a very significant (+ 17pp) increase since 2017. Compared to 2013, this figure more 
than doubled (+ 24pp). These findings align with other recent studies which observed a similar rise in the 
consumption of online subscription services, a development that only appears to have been reinforced by 
the COVID-19 pandemic (5). 

Paid for online content from a legal service (6) 

(4) Source: Q7: For each of the following statements regarding legal offers providing access to content such as music and films on 
the internet, please indicate whether you totally agree, tend to agree, tend to disagree, totally disagree: (Total base; n= 2 5636). 
TREND QUESTION. 
(5) See for example: https://www.digitaltveurope.com/2020/05/11/coronavirus-accelerates-global-svod-growth/ 
( 6)  Source:  Q4b:  During  the  past  12 months,  which  of  the  following  have  you  done?  -  Paid  to  access,  download  or  stream 
copyright-protected content from a legal service on the internet (for instance music, video, film or TV series) (Total base; n= 25 636). 
TREND QUESTION. 

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The main driver for those who report that they have not accessed digital content through illegal services is 
the availability of affordable content from legal sources. 

Almost half (48 %) of those who have not used illegal sources for online content have not done so because 
of  the  availability  of  affordable  content  from  legal  sources.  They  are  equally  (48 %)  driven  by  an 
understanding of the harm caused to musicians, writers, artists and creators from IP infringement. 

The increase in use of legal sources for digital content has not translated into a significant reduction in the 
use of illegal ones, but there has been a small decline in the percentage of people in Europe who admit to 
using illegal online sources for digital content. 

About 1 out of 10 Europeans surveyed (8 %) admitted to having used pirated online content intentionally 
during the past 12 months, only slightly below the figures reported in 2017 and 2013 (- 2pp). The proportion 
admitting use of illegal sources rises among young age groups and heavy internet users. Interestingly, 
those who accessed illegal online content intentionally, are also likely to have purchased online content. 
This suggests that people in Europe switch between both legal and illegal sources to access the content 
they need. As noted above, there is a clear overlap between people accessing illegal sources for digital 
content and people buying counterfeits. 

Accessed, downloaded or streamed content from illegal online sources intentionally (7) 

15-24 y.o. 

15-24 y.o. 

15-24 y.o. 

Of those who Intentionally bought 
counterfeits have used illegal online sources 

Of heavy internet users accessed digital 
content using illegal online sources 

Confusion about what a legal or illegal source is remains steady but the effort made to find out whether 
sources are legal or not is on the rise. 

There was a rise between 2013 and 2017 in the confusion over what constitutes a legal or illegal source, 
but this trend has stopped. The current trend shows a steady proportion (23 %, compared to 24 % in 2017) 
who are ambiguous about what constitutes a legal or illegal offer. 

(7) Source: Q4b: During the past 12 months, which of the following have you done? – Accessed, downloaded or streamed content 
from illegal online sources intentionally (Total base; n= 25 636). TREND QUESTION. 

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The evidence of this trend points towards an increase in the use of legal online sources and preferences 
for these legal sources. This is also supported by the rise in the proportion who research whether online 
content is from a legal source or not, from 14 % in 2017 to 20 % in 2020. 

Compared to the use of pirated online content, the uploading of copyright-protected content on the internet 
(such as music, video, film or TV series) in order to share it with other internet users is less widespread, 
with  only  7 %  of  those  surveyed  acknowledging  they  had  done  this  over  the  last  12 months.  An  even 
smaller  number  (3 %)  admitted  having  used  illicit  streaming  devices,  such  as  set-top  boxes  with  pre-
installed  apps,  to  access  pirated  content.  However,  both  these  illegal  activities  cannot  be  considered 
insignificant, as young people are more likely to engage in these activities. Of those aged between 15 and 
24, 15 % uploaded copyright-protected content and 7 % used illicit streaming devices. 

The availability of affordable content remains the primary reason that would make those who access illegal 
sources stop, though it has declined substantially in importance. Arguments that it is for personal use have 
also declined substantially. 

The availability of affordable content from legal sources is the most frequently mentioned reason to stop 
using pirated online content, followed by the risk of punishment and a better understanding of the harm 
caused to creators. Since 2017, the proportion citing that the availability of affordable content from legal 
sources would make them stop using pirated content has declined substantially (- 12pp). 

What would make people stop using pirated online content? (8) 

Availability of affordable content from legal
sources

58%

70%

Risk of punishment

A better understanding of the harm caused by 
my behaviour to the musicians, writers, artists, …

Bad experience of others with illegal sources (e.g. 
malware…)

Personal bad experience with illegal sources

35%

44%

31%
29%

30%

35%

30%

36%

A better understanding of the harm caused by my
behaviour on jobs and on the EU economy

22%

28%

Nothing would make me stop

Don’t know/refused 

8%

5%

1%
4%

2020

2017

(8) Source: Q9a: You indicated that you used illegal sources (websites) intentionally for online content  over the past 12 months. 
What are all the elements that would make you stop using illegal sources? (Total base; n= 2 434). TREND QUESTION. 

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1.  INTRODUCTION 

This  report  presents  the  findings  of  the  2020  study  on  ‘European  Citizens  and  Intellectual  Property: 
Perception, Awareness and Behaviour’ (2020 IP Perception study). The overarching aim of this study is to 
gather  knowledge  on  Europeans’  attitudes  towards  intellectual  property  (IP),  the  degree  to  which  they 
respect these rights, and the concept that they have of IP as a whole. More specifically, the study serves 
as a monitoring tool of public opinion with regards to: 

1) 
2) 
3) 
4) 

general knowledge and perception of IP; 
awareness of the value of IP and the damage caused by infringements; 
counterfeit goods and pirated online content, and the reasons for buying or using these (or not); 
the availability and quality of offers of legal online content at European Union (EU) and at national 
level. 

The study’s main research tool is a survey among the general population of 15 years and above in the 27 
EU Member States. A key aim of the 2020 IP Perception survey is to uncover trends, compared to the 
2013 and 2017 studies within the same survey, highlighting the differences and similarities with previous 
years.  With  this  in  mind,  the  need  to  maintain  comparability  across  the  studies  has  guided  the 
methodological  approach  and  the  survey’s  design.  The  existing  survey  questionnaire  was  thoroughly 
reviewed and selected changes and additions were made to the questionnaire to keep the IP Perception 
study  up  to  date  and  capture  new  developments  surrounding  IP  and  IP  infringement.  The  full  survey 
questionnaire can be found in Annex 1. 

The study also encompasses a literature review of similar surveys carried out since 2017, with the goal of 
identifying shifts in public knowledge/perception/opinion or shifts in the focus of the studies. The literature 
review helped inform the design of the questionnaire and is used to enrich and contextualise the survey 
findings. A summary of the literature review’s findings is presented in Section 1.2Error! Reference source 
not found.. 

1.1  SURVEY METHODOLOGY 

The survey  was  conducted  in  the  27 EU  Member States,  between  1 June and  6 July  2020. The  target 
population included all residents aged 15 and over (9). In total, 25 636 interviews were conducted across 
all 27 countries. At least 1 000 interviews were conducted in 24 of the 27 countries surveyed. In Cyprus, 
Luxembourg and Malta, a minimum of 500 respondents were interviewed. The unweighted sample size for 
each country is shown in Table 1. 

No quotas were set, as is the rule for telephone surveys using a random sampling method (see below). 
Parental consent for participation was sought for those respondents between 15 and 18 years old. Those 
under 15 were screened out at the start of the interview. 

The survey was carried out using a computer-assisted telephone interviewing (CATI) technique. In every 
country, a random sample (representative of the national population aged 15 or over) was drawn up. This 
meant that anyone belonging to the target universe had an opportunity to participate in the survey. A dual 
mobile/fixed telephone sampling frame was used. 

To  ensure  a  homogenous  approach  across  countries,  and  to  minimise  potential  errors,  questionnaire 
programming and data cleaning and analysis were completely centralised. The sample was weighted in 

(9)  Respondents  were  residents  in  the  country  surveyed  who  had  sufficient  command  of  at  least  one  of  the  respective  national 
languages.  In  addition,  only  people  ‘living  in  private  households’  were  selected,  excluding  prisoners,  as  well  as  residents  of 
retirement homes, etc., who are difficult to contact in a telephone survey. 

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each  country  using  a  post-stratification  weight  method,  including  age,  gender,  phone  ownership  and  a 
design weight. In addition, the EU-level results were weighted based on the countries’ population size. 

Note that the results for the 2013 and 2017 studies for the same survey were reweighted to exclude the 
results from the United Kingdom (UK), which was not covered by the current study. 

All the statistical differences mentioned in the report are statistically significant unless otherwise mentioned. 
Statistical significance is calculated at the 95 % confidence level, meaning that the null hypothesis of no 
difference has been rejected at the 5 % probability level. 

The percentages in this report are given without decimals and, as the percentages are rounded up, they 
may not add up to 100 % exactly. The bars in the charts take the decimals into account, which explains 
the small differences in the length of bars showing the same percentage. 

Data  collection  for  the  survey  is  fully  compliant  with  the  General  Data  Protection  Regulation  (GDPR). 
Personal data is asterisked out for any users of the system not directly connected to quality control. After 
6 months of the project ending, all personally identifiable information/data in the system will be removed. 
All data is stored in the EU on secure servers. 

Table 1: Net sample size per country 

Country 

Austria 

Belgium 

Bulgaria 

Croatia 

Cyprus 

Czechia 

Denmark 

Estonia 

Finland 

France 

Germany 

Greece 

Hungary 

Ireland 

Sample 
size 
1 000 

1 002 

1 000 

1 000 

587 

1 001 

1 001 

1 001 

1 001 

1 000 

1 002 

1 003 

1 002 

1 001 

Country 

Italy 

Latvia 

Lithuania 

Luxembourg 

Malta 

Netherlands 

Poland 

Portugal 

Romania 

Slovakia 

Slovenia 

Spain 

Sweden 

TOTAL 

Sample 
size 
1 000 

1 009 

1 006 

500 

508 

1 000 

1 003 

1 000 

1 007 

1 000 

1 001 

1 001 

1 000 

25 636 

The population subgroups that were considered by default for the analysis are reported in Table 2 and relate 
to  the  socio-demographic  characteristics  of  gender,  age,  education  level  (completed  education  and 
undertaking education), occupational status, urbanisation level and household size. In addition, three distinct 
groups of online content users were distinguished: ‘heavy’, ‘limited’ and ‘none’ users (10). 

(10)  These categories  were  based  on  the  new  ‘Content  use’  question that  was added to the current  study.  This  question  asked 
respondents whether they 1. Streamed or downloaded music or audio books; 2. Streamed or downloaded films or TV series; 3. 

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Table 2: Socio-demographic breakdown of the sample 

Variable 

Proportion 

Gender 
Male 
Female 
Age 
15-24 years 
25-39 years 
40-54 years 
55-64 years 
65+ 
Age when left full-time education 
15 years 
16-19 years 
20+years 
Still studying 
No full-time education 
Occupational status 
Self-employed 
Employee 
Manual worker 
Without a professional activity 
Urbanisation level 
Rural area or village 
Small or middle-sized town 
Large town 
Household size 
1 person 
2 persons 
3 persons 
4+ persons 
Online content use 
Heavy 
Limited 
None 

48 % 
52 % 

11 % 
24 % 
26 % 
17 % 
22 % 

5 % 
31 % 
54 % 
10 % 
* 

18 % 
40 % 
6 % 
36 % 

24 % 
41 % 
35 % 

22 % 
41 % 
20 % 
16 % 

23 % 
63 % 
15 % 

Streamed  live  sports  events;  4.  Downloaded  e-books  or  read  e-books  online;  5.  Read  newspapers  and  magazines  online;  6. 
Downloaded photographs; 7. Downloaded video games (this also includes app games to be played on tablets or smart phones). 
Respondents who had carried out four or more of these activities were qualified as ‘heavy’ users, those who had carried out one to 
three activities were qualified as ‘limited’ users, and those who had not carried out any of these activities were considered ‘none’ 
users. 

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1.2  LITERATURE REVIEW 

As part of the study, a literature review was carried out, focusing on surveys on IP-related subjects released 
since 2017. The aim of the literature review was to capitalise on the existing body of evidence and to identify, 
on the one hand 1) trends in public knowledge/perception/opinion on IP and, on the other hand, 2) shifts in 
the focus of the studies carried out. The literature review was used both to inform the modifications made to 
the survey questionnaire and to contextualise its findings in the analysis stage. 

The  literature  review  was  carried  out  by  means  of  a  structured  ‘rapid  evidence  assessment’  of  publicly 
available  surveys.  Searches  were  performed  using  Google  Search  and  Google  Scholar.  In  addition,  the 
EUIPO asked its stakeholders for input on relevant surveys conducted in their countries. Large-scale surveys 
targeting consumers/businesses were the focus of the review. Studies (mainly) based on secondary data, 
or surveys with small sample sizes were excluded. 

Each relevant survey was analysed according to its: 

• 

• 

• 

• 

online 
telephone 
other 

Methodology: 
o 
o 
o 
Target respondents: 
o 
consumers/general population 
o 
businesses 
o 
students 
Geographical scope: 
o 
Pan-European 
o 
national (Australia, France, UK, United States, etc.) 
o 
worldwide (multi-country) 
Main focus of the study: 
o 
o 
o 
o 

understand attitudes and behaviours regarding counterfeiting and piracy 
knowledge and attitudes about IP 
general online behaviour and digital content consumption 
other. 

As the literature review part of the previous (2017)  study included studies completed between 2013 and 
2017, only studies released since 2017 were included in the current literature review. In total, 30 relevant 
studies were identified. A list of sources is provided in Annex 2. 

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Findings on coverage and methodology applied 

As in 2017 and 2013, no Pan-European surveys on IP-related topics were identified. This means that the 
Youth  Scoreboard  and  IP  Perception  survey,  both  conducted  by  the  EUIPO,  remain  the  only  EU-wide 
surveys  on  IP  available.  Most  studies  identified  (22  in  total)  are  national-level  surveys.  At  EU-level,  this 
includes  surveys  in  France  (2),  Germany,  Hungary,  Italy  (2),  Latvia  (2),  Spain  (2)  and  Sweden.  The 
remaining  8  surveys  are  ‘worldwide’  surveys,  covering  multiple  countries  across  different  continents. 
Compared to 2017, when 3 multi-country studies were identified, the number of multi-country or ‘worldwide’ 
studies is on the rise. In total, 22 of the 30 surveys identified by the review covered one or more EU Member 
States (11). Most of the studies (26) targeted consumers or the general population, which included surveys 
targeting  specific  population  subgroups,  such  as  young  people  or  users  of  illegal  content.  Two  surveys 
identified targeted businesses. A further two surveys targeted students. 

The great majority of the studies identified (28) used online survey methodology. Four of these studies used 
a mixed-method approach, combining online interviewing with telephone (3) or face-to-face interviewing (1). 
In  these  cases,  telephone  or  face-to-face  interviewing  was  used  in  certain  countries,  to  reach  specific 
population subgroups who are less well-represented online (such as older people), or, for example, for a 
separate stakeholder survey. One study in Italy combined an online survey with social media analysis. A 
survey in Hong Kong used only telephone interviewing (CATI). A survey in South Korea was  carried out 
using  pen-and-paper  personal  interview  (PAPI)  survey  methodology,  for  interviewing  respondents  at  an 
event. 

Almost all (29) of the surveys identified had a component aimed at understanding attitudes and behaviours 
towards counterfeiting and/or piracy. A large number of studies (22) covered general online behaviour and 
digital content consumption. A smaller number of studies (10) touched upon general knowledge and attitudes 
about IP. 

Findings of the studies identified 

With regard to the use of online content, a key finding of many of the studies reviewed is that the use of 
legal sources of online content is on the rise. This development was already observed in the 2017 literature 
review and has gained in importance since. The increase in the use of  legal sources of online content is 
driven by rapid growth in the reach of subscription services for online video and music, such as Netflix and 
Spotify, which is observed in countries across the world, including in the EU. For example, a recent survey 
conducted by the Hungarian National Board Against Counterfeiting, reported that among young Hungarians 
aged 18 to 26, the reach of subscription services had doubled in just three years, from 19 % in 2017 to 34 % 
in 2020 (12). Similarly, a 2019 survey by the Swedish Patent and Registration Office showed that the daily 
use of online film and TV series among Swedes had increased from 25 % to 37 % in the last two years (13). 

What could explain the rise in the use of legal online content? The most plausible answer is the increase in 
the availability of affordable online content. As in 2017, the surveys identified show that price and availability 
are the key drivers for consumers to opt for legal online content (or not). The report by the Swedish Patent 
and Registration Office found that the lack of legal alternatives was the most common explanation for using 
illegal material (14). A survey by the Australian government showed that 34 % of Australian ‘infringers’ would 
stop infringing if lawful services were cheaper, while 32 % would stop if everything they wanted was available 

(11) Note that this excludes studies carried out in the UK. 
(12) Available at: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1nkX8QrK4CTDJqBcXqRLs_zIhmVr-nkMs/view 
(13) Available at: https://www.prv.se/globalassets/in-swedish/upphovsratt/streama-lagligt/rapporten-prv-upphovsrattsundersokning-
2019.pdf 
(14) Available at: https://www.prv.se/globalassets/in-swedish/upphovsratt/streama-lagligt/rapporten-prv-upphovsrattsundersokning-
2019.pdf 

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lawfully (15). The British Online Copyright Infringement Tracker listed the ‘cost’, ‘legal’ and ‘timely’ availability 
of  content  among  the  top  four  reasons  for  consumers  to  stop  using  pirated content (16).  A  survey  by  the 
Canadian  government  found  that  one  in  two  Canadian  consumers  (54 %)  who  had  infringed  in  the  last 
3 months reported obtaining online content illegally instead of paying for it mainly due to it being free (17). 

The increase in use of legal online content appears to go hand in hand with a decrease in the proportion of 
the population using pirated online content. A 2018 report on online piracy in France, found that the number 
of French ‘online pirates’ had declined by 8 % between 2016 and 2017 (18). The same report found that the 
number of ‘convinced pirates’, those who only consume illegal content, had remained stable at around 2 % 
of the population. The survey by the Swedish Patent and Registration Office found that the proportion of 
Swedes using illegal digital services had declined sharply, from 21 % in 2017 to 14 % in 2020. Similarly, a 
Spanish survey found that the number of people who access online music illegally had declined from 34 % 
in 2017 to 29 % in 2018 (19). This appears to be a global phenomenon, at least in the Western world. A report 
by the Australian government showed that the proportion of Australians using only pirated online content 
had declined from 10 % in 2018 to 1 % in 2019, while the proportion using a mix of legal and illegal online 
content had declined from 22 % to 15 % over the same period (20). 

The  above  does  not  necessarily  imply  that  the  consumption  of  illegal  online  content  has  decreased  in 
absolute terms. A report from the University of Amsterdam covering 14 countries across the globe observed 
an increase in the per capita volume of illegal content consumed, despite a decrease in the proportion of the 
population engaging in online piracy, including in most of the European countries covered (21). This suggests 
that the issue of online piracy is increasingly confined to a relatively small group of ‘heavy offenders’, who 
consume a lot of illegal online content on an aggregate level. 

Many studies reviewed  found that these ‘heavy offenders’ are often young people, in line with  what was 
found in previous surveys by  the EUIPO, which showed that young people are over-represented among 
those  who  use  pirated  online  content.  A  survey  covering  21  countries  worldwide  by  the  International 
Federation of the Phonographic Industry, showed that 38 % of the 16 to 24-year-olds interviewed had used 
copyright infringement as a way to listen to or obtain music in the past month, compared to 27 % of the 
population as a whole (22). A survey by the British government found that in the UK, those aged under 35 
make  up  66 %  of  all  infringers (23).  Young  people  are  also  relatively  likely  to  use  novel  and  increasingly 
popular ways to obtain illegal online content, such as by means of illegal apps to watch  Internet Protocol 
television (IPTV), including on set-top boxes, or so-called card sharing (24). A Taiwanese survey found that 
47 %  of  18  to  24-year-olds  and  61 %  of  25  to  34-year-olds  use  apps  to  view  copyright-infringing  video 
content (25). 

Are ‘heavy users’ of pirated online content willing to pay for legal online content? As was already noted in 
the literature review of the 2017 IP Perception survey by the EUIPO, the answer appears to be ‘Yes’. In its 
Global Online Piracy Study, the University of Amsterdam concluded that pirates are more likely to be legal 

(15) Available at: https://www.communications.gov.au/file/48977/download?token=KvyH7EO2 
(16) Available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/729184/oci-
tracker.pdf 
(17) Available at: https://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/112.nsf/vwapj/07648-eng.pdf/$file/07648-eng.pdf 
( 18 )Available  at:  http://www.editionmultimedia.fr/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Etude-EY-sur-le-piratage-en-France-contenus-
audiovisuels-28-06-18.pdf 
(19) Available at: http://lacoalicion.es/wp-content/uploads/executive-piracy-observatory-2018_ok-5-april.pdf 
(20) Available at: https://www.communications.gov.au/file/48977/download?token=KvyH7EO2 
(21) Available at: https://www.ivir.nl/publicaties/download/Global-Online-Piracy-Study.pdf 
(22) Available at: https://www.ifpi.org/downloads/Music-Listening-2019.pdf 
(23) Available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/729184/oci-
tracker.pdf 
(24) Card sharing is a method which allows multiple clients or digital television receivers to access a subscription television network 
with only one valid subscription card. 
(25) Available at: https://avia.org/newly-released-survey-finds-one-third-of-taiwanese-online-consumers-have-accessed-streaming-
piracy-websites-or-torrent-sites-28-use-illicit-streaming-devices-isds-to-view-pirated-tv-channels-and-vi/ 

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users of online content than non-pirates, with the median legal consumption of pirates typically being twice 
that of non-pirates (26). The survey in the same report also found that the demographic profile of pirates and 
legal users is very similar. A survey by Creative Content Australia showed that so-called stackers, or people 
with more than one subscription for online content, are more likely to pirate material (27). 

Regarding counterfeits, few obvious trends can be observed in the existing body of surveys, except that 
buying counterfeit goods remains commonplace. In a survey by the Spanish government, one out of three 
respondents (32 %) stated that they had never bought a product knowing that it was counterfeit (28). As is 
the case for pirated online content, youngsters are relatively more likely to buy counterfeits. In a survey by 
the International Trademark Association (INTA) covering 10 countries across the globe (including Italy in the 
EU),  a  massive  79 %  of  ‘Generation  Z’  consumers  (18  to  23-year-olds)  confessed  to  having  purchased 
counterfeit products in the past year (29). 

Clearly not all purchases of counterfeits are intentional, and confusion about the authenticity of products 
remains  an  important  issue,  as  was  reported  in  earlier  EUIPO  studies.  The  2018  MarkMonitor  Online 
Barometer found that about a third (30 %) of consumers in Germany, France, Italy, the United States and 
the UK, have accidentally purchased fake products over the last 5 years (30). In its worldwide survey on illicit 
trade, Oxford Economics reported that ‘possibly illicit’ purchases, where consumers lack confidence in the 
legitimacy  of  the products,  comprise  27 % of  the  total  purchases  across Europe,  whereas  the estimated 
figure for known illicit purchases is 11 % (31). In a survey on the counterfeiting of athletic footwear in the US, 
35 % of all counterfeit purchases were made without knowing the item was fake (32). 

The surveys reviewed tend to point  to counterfeit goods’ lower price as the main driver for buying these 
illegal goods. In the abovementioned survey by the Spanish government, three quarters (76 %) of those who 
bought counterfeits said they did so because it was cheaper. While in the INTA survey, 57 % of ‘Generation 
Z’ consumers said they could only afford the fake version of some brands. In a Korean survey, more than 
half of all respondents (56 %) indicated that counterfeits’ low price was the most important factor for their 
purchase (33). Meanwhile, awareness about the risks related to buying counterfeit goods tends to be high. In 
the  MarkMonitor  Online Shopping  Barometer  2018,  for  example,  the  consumers  surveyed said  that  they 
were worried about the risks related to buying counterfeits, including hackers stealing their personal details 
(65 % reported this); identity theft (59 % reported this); and scammers stealing money (56 % reported this). 
In the global survey of the INTA, 81 % of respondents agreed that fake products are unsafe. 

(26) Available at: https://www.ivir.nl/publicaties/download/Global-Online-Piracy-Study.pdf 
(27) Available at: https://www.creativecontentaustralia.org.au/_literature_217915/2019_Australian_Piracy_Behaviours 
(28) Internal survey, not available online. 
(29) Available at: https://www.inta.org/Communications/Documents/INTA%20Gen%20Z%20Insights_Global.pdf 
(30) Available at: https://www.markmonitor.com/download/report/MarkMonitor_Online_Shopping_Barometer-q4-
2018.pdf?cid=pr&mod=article_inline 
(31) Available at: http://blog.oxfordeconomics.com/combatting-illicit-trade 
(32) https://meet.redpoints.com/lp-245-market-research-survey-footwear/ 
(33) https://ecck.eu/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/2017-Busan-Consumers-Perception-of-Counterfeit-Products_ENG.pdf 

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2.  INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY – AWARENESS AND OPINIONS 

EU citizens’ subjective understanding of IP remains high at 80 % (+ 2 percentage points (pp) compared 
to 2017), though this varies substantially across the different countries. Awareness of IP is considerably 
below  average  among  those  who  bought  counterfeit  goods  (70 %)  or  intentionally  accessed  pirated 
online content (73 %), suggesting that that those with little understanding of IP are more likely to infringe 
it. 

Europeans  tend  to  understand  the  benefits  of  IP.  Almost  all  (98 %)  agree  that  it  is  important  that 
inventors, creators and performing artists are able to protect their rights and be paid for their work. Only 
slightly fewer (90 %) agree that IP contributes to improving and guaranteeing the quality of products and 
services. 

While  understanding  may  be  high,  few  Europeans  (4 %)  believe  that  IP  mainly  benefits  people  like 
themselves. In fact many still believe that IP mainly benefits the ‘elite’, such as famous artists and big 
companies. However, the proportion of Europeans who think that IP is most beneficial to creators of 
artistic content has doubled, from 10 % in 2017 to 20 % in 2020, although it should be stressed that two 
more categories were added to this question item in 2020 (‘authors/writers’ and ‘filmmakers’). 

2.1  GENERAL UNDERSTANDING OF THE CONCEPT OF IP 

EU citizens’ subjective understanding of the concept of IP is high. As can be seen in 

, 8 out of 10 Europeans surveyed (80 %) say they have a ‘very good’ or ‘rather good’ knowledge of  the 
meaning of the term ‘intellection property’. Overall subjective understanding of IP is similar to that observed 
in 2017 (+ 2pp) and 2013 (+ 4pp). 

Figure 1: Understanding of the concept of IP, compared to 2017 (34) 

(34) Source: Q1: Personally, would you say that you have a very good, rather good, rather poor or very poor understanding of the 
meaning of the term ‘intellectual property’ (Total base; n= 25 636). TREND QUESTION. 

21 

80%202078%201776%2013Very good + rather good understandingof the term ‘intellectual property’ 
                                                                                 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Europeans’ subjective ‘very good’ or ‘rather good’ understanding of the term  ‘intellectual property’ varies 
substantially across countries, ranging from 91 % in Poland to 32 % in Malta, see Figure 2. Other countries 
with a high subjective understanding of IP include Austria (88 %) and Greece, Bulgaria and Germany (all 
with 86 %). Apart from in Malta, the self-declared understanding of IP is also relatively low in Finland (41 %), 
Denmark  (50 %)  and  Sweden  (53 %),  although  in  all  of  these  countries  (except  Malta)  the  subjective 
understanding of IP has improved substantially since 2017. 

Figure 2: Understanding of the term ‘intellectual property’ per country (35) 

* Difference with 2017 in brackets, in percentage points. 

Generally,  socio-demographic  differences  in  the  subjective  understanding  of  IP  are  not  very  marked. 
However, a relatively low ‘very good’ or ‘rather good’ understanding of the term ‘intellectual property’ is 
observed for those who finished their education before they turned 16 years old (68 %), for those under 
24 years old (71 %), and for those without a professional activity (74 %). 

Importantly, the data shows that the subjective understanding of the term IP is substantially below average 
(70 %  and  73 %,  respectively)  for  those  who  admit  they  bought  counterfeit  goods  or  accessed  pirated 
online content intentionally over the last 12 months, see figure below (36). This suggests that those with 
little understanding of IP are more likely to infringe it. 

(35) Source: Q1: Personally, would you say that you have a very good, rather good, rather poor or very poor understanding of the 
meaning of the term ‘intellectual property’ (Total base; n= 25 636). TREND QUESTION. 
(36) See Sections 3 and 4 for more information on those who bought counterfeits or accessed pirated online content. 

22 

78%76%76%75%72%69%69%68%68%67%53%50%43%32% PT ES SI HU CZ EE LV CY NL IE SE DK FI MT91%88%86%86%86%85%85%81%80%80%79%79%78%78%PLATELBGDEHRFR LUEU27LT SK BE IT ROVery good + rather good(+11)(-1)(+20)(+3)(=)(+5)(-5)(-4)(+2)(+15)(=)(+1)(-2)(+5)(+1)(=)(-1)(=)(-9)(+8)(+8)(+24)(+5)(+10)(+29)(+15)(+20)(=) 
                                                                                 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Figure 3: Understanding of IP and infringing IP 

Very good + rather good understanding of the term 
 ‘intellectual property’ among those who… 

buy counterfeit 
goods intentionally 

don’t buy counterfeit 
goods intentionally 

access illegal sources for 
digital content 
intentionally 

don’t access illegal 
sources for digital 
content intentionally 

2.2  UNDERSTANDING OF THE BENEFITS OF IP 

Europeans tend to understand the benefits of IP. Virtually all (98 %) ‘totally agree’ or ‘tend to agree’ that it 
is important that inventors, creators and performing artists are able to protect their rights and be paid for 
their work, see Figure 4. Moreover, the majority agree that protecting IP is important because it: 

• 

• 

ensures that no one can claim being the creator of a piece of art or the inventor of something when 
in reality this is not the case (91 % totally or tend to agree); 

contributes to improving and guaranteeing the quality of products and services (90 % totally or tend 
to agree). 

There is slightly less consensus among Europeans regarding the contribution of IP to the economy. Even 
so, 72 % ‘totally’ or ‘tend to’ agree that companies that hold patents, trade marks, designs, copyrights or 
trade secrets contribute significantly more than other companies to the creation of jobs or growth. And 
close to three quarters (73 %) agree that if there was no longer any IP protection, there would be ‘economic 
chaos’. These figures are slightly better in terms of the understanding of IP than those observed in 2017. 

23 

70%81%73%81% 
                                                                                 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Figure 4: Understanding of the benefits of IP (37) 

* Difference with 2017 in brackets, in percentage points. 

The high perception of the benefits of IP is visible across socio-demographic groups and countries. Notably, 
those  who  infringe  IP  have  a  good  understanding  of  it  is  benefits,  even  though  their  perception  of  the 
benefits of IP is somewhat lower than for the population as a whole. For example, 95 % of those who admit 
to have accessed pirated online content during the last 12 months (see Chapters 3 and 4), ‘totally agree’ 
or ‘tend to agree’ that it is important that inventors, creators and performing artists are able to protect their 
rights and be paid for their work. 

When asked about their opinion on statements that point to hypothetical drawbacks or limitations of IP, a 
slightly greater proportion of the EU population agrees with these statements rather than disagreeing. As 
can be seen in Figure 5, half of Europeans (50 %) ‘totally agree’ or ‘tend to agree’ that strict protection of 
IP may curb innovation, while a similar proportion (46 %) ‘totally’ or ‘tend to’ disagree. A small majority of 
Europeans (51 %) ‘totally agree’ or ‘tend to agree’ that the IP principles are not adapted to the internet 
(meaning that the IP principles are not suited or relevant to internet use). These figures have not changed 
or have hardly changed since 2017. 

Young Europeans especially  perceive the hypothetical  drawbacks or limitations of IP. Noticeably, more 
than 6 out of 10 respondents aged 15 to 24 (61 %) ‘totally agree’ or ‘tend to agree’ that the IP principles 

(37)  Source:  Q5:  Please  indicate  whether  you  totally  agree,  tend  to  agree,  tend  to  disagree  or  totally  disagree  with  each  of  the 
following statements:(Total base; n=25 636). TREND QUESTION. 

24 

86%71%62%39%35%12%20%28%33%38%4%5%14%15%9%8%It is important that inventors, creators and performingartists could protect their rights and be paid for their workProtecting Intellectual Property is important so no one canclaim being the creator of a piece of art or the inventor ofsomething when in reality this is not the caseProtecting Intellectual Property is important because itcontributes to improving and guaranteeing the quality ofproducts and servicesIf there was no longer any Intellectual Property protection,there would be economic chaosCompanies that create a lot of Intellectual Property (thathold patents, trade marks, designs, copyrights, tradesecrets) contribute significantly more than the others tothe creation of jobs or growthTotally agreeTend to agreeTend to disagreeTotally disagreeDon't know/refusedTotally + tend to agree*98% (=)91% (+2pp)90% (+2pp)73% (+5pp)72% (+4pp) 
                                                                                 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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are  not  adapted  to  the  internet (38).  A  slightly  smaller  proportion  (57 %)  of  the  same  age  group,  ‘totally 
agree’ or ‘tend to agree’ that strict protection of IP may curb innovation. 

Figure 5: Opinions on the hypothetical limitations of IP (39) 

* Difference with 2017 in brackets, in percentage points. 

The survey also looked at what beliefs are held by those in Europe about who mainly benefits from the 
protection of IP. The share of Europeans who think that IP is most beneficial to creators of artistic content 
is 20 %, double the proportion (+ 10pp) who reported this in 2017. It should be noted, however, that the 
categories ‘authors/writers’ and ‘filmmakers’ were added to this question item in 2020, which might explain 
some of the change compared to the last study. It is also interesting to note that almost 1 out of 10 (9 %) 
respondents feel that website, app and video game developers benefit most from IP, an answer item that 
was added for the first time in the current 2020 survey questionnaire. 

As  was  the  case  in  2017,  few  Europeans  surveyed  feel  that  IP  protection  benefits  consumers  like 
themselves the most – only 4 % agreed with this in 2020, compared to 5 % in 2017. And many still believe 
that IP mainly benefits the ‘elite’, such as famous artists (21 %) and big companies (15 %), even though 
the share of those answering that large companies benefit the most declined substantially compared to 
2017 (- 9pp). In 2020, fewer think IP mainly benefits politicians (4 % in 2020 versus 12 % in 2017). A very 
small proportion of Europeans (2 %) feel that IP does not benefit anyone at all. 

(38) This may be related to a higher awareness about this subject among younger people. Whereas 5 % of those aged between 15 
and 24 don’t know if the IP principles are not adapted to the internet, this figure is 19 % for those aged 55 and above. 
(39)  Source:  Q5:  Please  indicate  whether  you  totally  agree,  tend  to  agree,  tend  to  disagree  or  totally  disagree  with  each  of  the 
following statements:(Total base; n=25 636). TREND QUESTION. 

25 

22%23%30%27%20%25%16%21%12%4%The Intellectual Property principles are notadapted to the internetStrict protection of Intellectual Property may curbinnovationTotally agreeTend to agreeTend to disagreeTotally disagreeDon't know/refusedTotally + tend to agree*51% (+4pp)50% (=) 
                                                                                 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Figure 6: Who benefits the most from the protection of intellectual property? (40) 

*Question item rephrased in the 2020 questionnaire (‘authors/writers’ and ‘filmmakers’ were added). 
**Question item new in the 2020 questionnaire. 

(40) Source: Q2: In your opinion, who benefits the most from the protection of intellectual property? (Total base; n= 25 636). TREND 
QUESTION. 

26 

21%20%15%11%9%7%5%4%4%2%3%21%10%24%13%0%6%3%12%5%1%6%Famous performing artists (musicians, singers,actors)Creators of artistic content like photographers,sculptors, painters, authors/writers, filmmakers*Big companiesInventorsWebsite, app and video game developers**Less well-known performing artists (musicians,singers, actors)Small and medium companiesPoliticiansConsumers like yourselfNoneDon't know/refused20202017 
                                                                                 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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3.  COUNTERFEIT GOODS – OPINIONS AND CONSUMPTION 

Europeans tend to be aware of the negative effects of counterfeit goods on the economy and health and 
safety. For example, 83 % agree that buying counterfeit goods ruins businesses and jobs. Moreover, 
only a small minority of EU citizens see valid reasons for buying counterfeit goods. For example, only 
15 % of Europeans agree that it is acceptable to buy luxury counterfeit products. 

The proportion of Europeans who admit to having intentionally purchased counterfeit goods during the 
last 12 months has declined, from 7 % in 2017 to 5 % in 2020, bringing it back in line with the figure 
observed  in  2013  (4 %).  Younger  people  are  more  likely  to  admit  having  purchased  counterfeits 
intentionally – 10 % of those aged between 15 and 24 admitted this. In some countries, whilst still a 
small minority, significantly more respondents than the average admitted buying counterfeits, including 
in Portugal (13 %) and Slovenia (12 %). 

A third of Europeans (33 %) have wondered during the last 12 months whether a product they bought 
was original or not, down from 37 % in 2017. About 1 in 10 (9 %) was misled into buying counterfeit 
goods during the past year, a figure that has remained more or less stable since 2017 (- 1pp). 

The availability of affordable genuine products remains the main reason that would make consumers of 
counterfeit goods stop this behaviour; 52 % of those buying counterfeits say this would make them stop. 
Reputational damage is more compelling now than in 2017, with more respondents (17 %; + 5pp) saying 
that they would not buy counterfeits because this may harm their image. 

3.1  OPINIONS ON COUNTERFEIT GOODS 

Those living in Europe are generally aware of the negative effects that buying counterfeit goods have on the 
economy, as well as on health and safety. Notably, more than 8 out of 10 (83 %) ‘totally agree’ or ‘tend to 
agree’ that buying counterfeit goods ruins businesses and jobs, see Figure 7. 7 out of 10 (71 % (41)) ‘totally 
agree’  or  ‘tend  to  agree’  that  buying  counterfeit  products  poses  a  threat  to  health  and  safety.  A  similar 
proportion (69 %) agree that buying counterfeit products supports child labour and illegal trafficking. These 
opinions did not change considerably since 2017 and are shared across socio-demographic groups. 

(41) 71 % and not 72 %, due to rounding. 

27 

 
                                                                                 
 
 
 
 
 
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Figure 7: Opinions on buying counterfeit goods (42) 

* Difference with 2017 in brackets, in percentage points. 

Only a minority of EU citizens feel that there are valid reasons or justifications for buying counterfeit goods. 
For example, only 15 % of Europeans agree (totally or tend to) that it is acceptable to buy counterfeit goods 
when it concerns luxury products (see figure below). Slightly more (19 % to 24 %) ‘totally’ or ‘tend to’ agree 
that it is acceptable to buy counterfeit products when the quality of the product does not matter, when the 
original  product  is  not  (or  not  yet)  available  where  you  live,  or  when  the  price  for  the  original,  authentic 
product is too high. The most acceptable reason for the purchase of counterfeit goods appears to be as ‘an 
act of protest and a way to resist the market-driven economy and the large premium brands’, with slightly 
less than one third (31 %) agreeing with this statement. These figures tend to have improved slightly since 
2017 (meaning that acceptance is down). 

(42)  Source:  Q3:  Please  tell  me  if  you  totally agree,  tend  to agree, agree, tend  to  disagree or totally disagree  with  the  followin g 
statements: (Total base; n= 25 636). PARTIAL TREND QUESTION. 

28 

58%42%45%25%30%24%8%14%10%8%12%17%4%Buying counterfeit products ruins businesses andjobsBuying counterfeit products poses a threat tohealth and safetyBuying counterfeit products supports child labourand illegal traffickingTotally agreeTend to agreeTend to disagreeTotally disagreeDon't know/refusedTotally + tend to agree*83% (+4pp)71% (+5pp)69% (+1pp) 
                                                                                 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Figure 8: Opinions on justifications for buying counterfeit goods (43) 

* Difference with 2017 in brackets, in percentage points. 

Predominantly young people (under 24 years old) feel that there are valid reasons for buying counterfeit 
goods. For example, 37 % of this age group ‘totally agree’ or ‘tend to agree’ that it is acceptable to purchase 
counterfeit products when the price for the original, authentic product is too high, compared to 24 % of all 
those surveyed who agreed with this statement. When it comes to buying luxury counterfeit products, the 
difference is most pronounced: 30 % of those aged between 15 and 24 ‘totally agree’ or ‘tend to agree’ 
that this is acceptable, which is double the proportion (15 %) of the population as a whole. 

Respondents who admit they bought counterfeits (see section below), are likely to indicate that this can be 
justified. Two thirds (64 %) of those who bought counterfeit goods intentionally, feel that it is acceptable to 
do so when the price of the original, authentic product is too high. Only slightly fewer (58 %) of those who 
bought counterfeit goods intentionally feel it is acceptable when the original product is not available (or not 
yet available) where they live. 

For more details on the profile of those who buy counterfeits, see the following section. 

(43)  Source:  Q3:  Please  tell  me  if  you  totally agree,  tend  to agree, agree, tend  to  disagree or totally disagree  with  the  followin g 
statements: (Total base; n= 25 636). PARTIAL TREND QUESTION. 

29 

13%9%8%6%6%18%15%14%12%9%24%24%23%24%22%41%51%54%56%61%4%Buying counterfeit products is an act of protest and a wayto resist to the market driven economy and the largepremium brandsIt is acceptable to purchase counterfeit products when theprice for the original and authentic product is too highIt is acceptable to buy counterfeit products when theoriginal product is not or not yet available where you liveIt is acceptable to buy counterfeit products when thequality of the product does not matterIt is acceptable to buy counterfeit products when itconcerns luxury productsTotally agreeTend to agreeTend to disagreeTotally disagreeDon't know/refusedTotally + tend to agree*31% (-3pp)24% (-4pp)19% (-3pp)15% (-2pp)22% (-2pp) 
                                                                                 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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3.2  CONSUMPTION OF COUNTERFEIT GOODS 

The proportion of Europeans who confessed to having recently purchased counterfeit goods is low, although 
in absolute terms, it is still a very significant phenomenon, considering the size of the EU’s population. In the 
current  study  within  the  survey,  5 %  admitted  to  having  purchased  counterfeits  intentionally  in  the  last 
12 months (see Figure 9). The prevalence of admitted intentional purchasing of counterfeits has not changed 
much since 2013, though 2017 did show a somewhat higher figure (7 %). 

Figure 9: Bought counterfeit products intentionally (44) 

The proportion of Europeans who declared that they had intentionally bought counterfeit goods during the 
last 12 months varies substantially across countries, ranging from 13 % and 12 % in Portugal and Slovenia, 
to 2 % in Sweden and Italy. The self-declared consumption of counterfeit goods is also high in Slovakia and 
Luxembourg  (both  11 %),  as  well  as  in  Greece  and  Lithuania  (both  10 %).  Of  course,  this  does  not 
necessarily reflect a higher or lower prevalence of buying counterfeit goods in these countries. It could simply 
reflect more of a readiness to admit this kind of behaviour. 

(44)  Source:  Q4a:  During  the  past  12 months,  which  of  the  following  have  you  done?  -  Bought counterfeit  products  intentionally 
(Total base; n= 25 636). TREND QUESTION. 

30 

202020175%7%4%2013 
                                                                                 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Figure 10: Bought counterfeit products intentionally per country (45) 

* Difference with 2017 in brackets, in percentage points. 

Which Europeans confessed to having bought counterfeit goods intentionally? As can be observed in the 
table below, people who bought counterfeit goods intentionally over the last 12 months are usually young. 
Their age explains why those who bought counterfeits intentionally are also frequently still studying and 
living  in  larger  households,  presumably  with  their  parents.  People  who  bought  counterfeit  goods 
intentionally are often heavy online content users, which might relate to the fact that counterfeit goods are 
frequently sold on online marketplaces (46). People who access, download or stream content from illegal 
online  sources  intentionally  also  often  buy  counterfeit  goods.  This  suggests  that  the  two  main  issues 
covered by this study – the buying of counterfeits and accessing of pirated online content – are related and 
are partly caused by the same people. 

Table 3: Profile of those buying counterfeit goods intentionally 

Variable 

Bought counterfeit goods 
intentionally 

Gender 
Male 
Female 
Age 
15-24 years 
25-39 years 
40-54 years 
55+ 

Age when left full-time education 
15 years 

6 % 
4 % 

10 % 
7 % 
4 % 
3 % 

4 % 

(45) Source: Q4a: During the past 12 months, which of the following have you done? (Total base; n= 25 636). TREND QUESTION. 
(46) ‘Online  marketplaces have  increasingly become  key  distribution channels  for  counterfeit  goods,  with criminals  attempting  to 
copy 
https://euipo.europa.eu/tunnel-
web/secure/webdav/guest/document_library/observatory/documents/reports/Executive%20Summary%20Situation%20Report%20
EUIPO-Europol_en.pdf 

business  model’. 

success 

notable 

online 

legal 

See: 

the 

of 

31 

13%12%11%11%10%10%9%8%8%7%7%7%7%6%PTSISKLUELLTLVIENLROCYBEEEAT6%6%5%5%5%5%5%5%4%4%3%3%2%2%MTBGHUHRCZESDKEU27DEPLFRFISEIT(+3)(-5)(+1)(=)(+2)(-2)(-7)(+1)(+1)(-X)(+2)(-6)(+4)(-11)(-1)(-1)(-4)(-1)(-10)(-7)(-1)(-4)(-3)(-4)(-2)(-4)(-6)(=)(-5) 
                                                                                 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Variable 

16-19 years 
20+ years 
Still studying 
No full-time education* 

Occupational status 
Self-employed 
Employee 
Manual worker 
Without a professional activity 
Urbanisation level 
Rural area or village 
Small or middle-sized town 
Large town 
Household size 
1 person 
2 persons 
3 persons 
4+ persons 
Online content use 
Heavy 
Limited 
None 
Accessed pirated online content intentionally 
Yes 
No 
*Small base (n=178) 

Bought counterfeit goods 
intentionally 
6 % 
4 % 
9 % 
12 % 

5 % 
4 % 
7 % 
5 % 

5 % 
4 % 
5 % 

4 % 
4 % 
6 % 
8 % 

8 % 
4 % 
3 % 

30 % 
3 % 

32 

 
                                                                                 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Buying counterfeits is not always an intentional act. On the contrary, as noted in various other studies (see 
Section 1.2), many people are tricked into buying counterfeits, and even more are unsure  whether a product 
they bought is in fact legitimate or not (47). This pattern in also visible in the current study. About 1 out of 10 
Europeans surveyed (9 %) bought counterfeit products over the last 12 months as a result of being misled. 
This figure has remained more or less stable since 2017 (- 1pp), after increasing between 2013 and 2017. 
Again, this figure is higher for the youngest age group, with 12 % of those aged between 15 and 24 saying 
they had bought counterfeit products as a result of being misled. For those still studying, the comparable 
figure is slightly higher, at 14 %. 

Figure 11: Bought counterfeit products as a result of being misled (48) 

A much larger proportion of Europeans (33 %) had wondered if a product they had bought during the last 
12 months was genuine or counterfeit. This proportion is 4 percentage points lower than in 2017. In line with 
the other figures on buying  counterfeits, the proportion who  wondered if a  product they  had bought was 
genuine or counterfeit is higher (38 %) for those aged between 15 and 24. 

Figure 12: Wondered if a product they had bought was genuine or counterfeit (49) 

(47) For example, in its worldwide survey on illicit trade, Oxford Economics reported that ‘possibly illicit’ purchases, where consumers 
lack full confidence in the legitimacy of products, comprise 27 % of total purchases across Europe, whereas the estimated figure 
for known illicit purchases is 11 %. Available at: http://blog.oxfordeconomics.com/combatting-illicit-trade 
(48) Source: Q4a: During the past 12 months, which of the following have you done? - Bought counterfeit products as a result of 
being misled (Total base; n= 25 636). TREND QUESTION. 
(49)  Source:  Q4a:  During  the  past  12 months,  which  of  the  following  have  you  done?  -  Wondered  if  a  product  you  bought  was 
genuine or counterfeit (Total base; n= 25 636). TREND QUESTION. 

33 

2020201733%37%38%15-24 y.o.43%15-24 y.o.202020179%10%20136%12%15-24 y.o.10%15-24 y.o.7%15-24 y.o. 
                                                                                 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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3.3  REASONS FOR BUYING OR NOT BUYING COUNTERFEIT GOODS 

The availability of affordable products is the main reason that would persuade buyers of counterfeit goods 
to  discontinue  this  behaviour,  as  opposed  to  the  risk  of  punishment  or  because  of  a  bad  personal 
experience (50). Compared to 2017, in absolute terms, the availability of affordable products is now a less 
important driver for dissuading people from purchasing counterfeit goods (- 10pp), although it is still the most 
important  one.  This  is  the  case  across  all  the  socio-demographic  groups.  The  risk  of  punishment  is  an 
important driver for young people to stop buying counterfeits, with 46 % of those aged between 15 and 24 
and who bought counterfeits reporting this. 

The potential harm to one’s image that buying counterfeits can cause is an increasingly important reason to 
stop  buying  counterfeits.  In  2020,  17 %  of  respondents  reported  this  as  a  driver  to  discontinue  buying 
counterfeits, compared to 12 % in 2017 (+ 5pp). ‘Harm to image’ is an especially important driver for younger 
people,  with  22 %  of  those  aged  between  15  and  24  reporting  this  as  the  main  reason  to  stop  buying 
counterfeits. 

Figure 13: What would make people stop buying counterfeit goods? (51) 

The availability of affordable original products is the main reason to stop buying counterfeits among those 
who  have  bought  them  intentionally  in  almost  all  of  the  countries  covered  by  the  survey.  Nonetheless, 
differences  between  countries  are  substantial.  While  94 %  of  Romanians  surveyed  and  93 %  of  Poles 
surveyed reported that the availability of affordable original products is a key reason for them to stop buying 
counterfeits, this figure was 27 % in Malta, and 32 % in Belgium and Hungary. 

(50) This is in line with the findings in many existing surveys, which point to the (lower) price of counterfeit goods being the key driver 
for buying these illegal goods, see Section 1.2. 
(51) Source: Q8a: You indicated that you have intentionally bought counterfeit products during the past 12 months. What are all the 
elements that would make you stop buying counterfeit products? (Total base; n= 1 746). TREND QUESTION. 

34 

52%37%35%28%24%24%17%9%2%63%32%41%32%28%28%12%9%7%Availability of affordable original productsRisk of punishmentPersonal bad experience with a counterfeit productBad experience of others with a counterfeit productA better understanding of the harm caused by mybehaviour to the producers of the original productsA better understanding of the harm caused by mybehaviour on jobs and on the EU economyHarm to my image: others would judge me because ofhaving or wearing counterfeit itemsNothing would make me stopDon’t know/refused 20202017 
                                                                                 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Figure 14: Availability of affordable original products as a reason to stop buying counterfeits per country (52) 

* Difference with 2017 in brackets, in percentage points. 

In the current survey, for the first time, those who replied that they did not buy counterfeit goods intentionally 
during the last 12 months were asked about their main reasons for not doing so. As can be noted in the chart 
below  (Figure 15),  the  availability  of  affordable  original  products  is  also  the  main  reason  for  not  buying 
counterfeits  for  this  group  of  respondents.  However,  compared  to  those  who  did  buy  counterfeits 
intentionally,  those  who  did  not  are  significantly  more  likely  to  have  not  done  so  because  of  their 
understanding of the harm caused to producers and jobs and the economy – respectively 48 % and 41 % of 
those  not  buying  counterfeits  mentioned  these  to  be  key  reasons,  compared  to  24 %  of  those  buying 
counterfeits (see above). This suggests that awareness of the negative effects is related to the purchase of 
counterfeit goods. 

It  is  interesting  to  note  that  young  people  who  did  not  buy  counterfeit  goods  intentionally  in  the  past 
12 months, often mention having had a bad personal experience with buying counterfeit goods as a reason 
for no longer doing so – 31 % of those aged between 15 and 24 reported this, compared to 23 % of all 
respondents.  At  the  same  time,  younger  respondents  are  less  likely  (than  the  average)  to mention  not 
buying  counterfeits  because  of  their  understanding  of  the  harm  caused  to  producers  and  jobs  and  the 
economy (42 % and 34 % of those aged between 15 and 24 mention these as key drivers for not buying 
counterfeits). 

(52) Source: Q8a: You indicated that you have intentionally bought counterfeit products during the past 12 months. What are all the 
elements that would make you stop buying counterfeit products? – Availability of affordable original products (Total base; n= 1 746). 
TREND QUESTION. 

35 

 
                                                                                 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Figure 15: Reasons for not buying counterfeit goods (53) 

(53) Source: Q8b: You indicated that you have NOT intentionally bought counterfeit products during the past 12 months. What was 
the reason for this? Please indicate all that apply. (Total base; n= 23 589). NEW QUESTION. 

36 

52%48%41%27%27%23%19%12%1%Availability of affordable original productsA better understanding of the harm caused by mybehaviour to the producers of the original productsA better understanding of the harm caused by mybehaviour on jobs and on the EU economyBad experience of others with a counterfeit productRisk of punishmentPersonal bad experience with a counterfeit productHarm to my image: others would judge me because ofhaving or wearing counterfeit itemsNo specific reasonDon’t know/refused  
                                                                                 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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4.  PIRATED ONLINE CONTENT – OPINIONS AND 
CONSUMPTION 

While Europeans are generally opposed to the use of pirated online content, slightly more than a quarter 
agree that it is acceptable to obtain pirated online content when there is no immediately available legal 
alternative or when it is for personal use. Even so, the share of those who agree that it is acceptable to 
obtain pirated online content for personal use has decreased significantly (- 15pp since 2013). 

More than 4 out of 10 Europeans (42 %) have paid to access, download or stream copyright-protected 
content from a legal service on the internet over the last 12 months, a very significant (+ 17pp) increase 
since 2017. Compared to 2013, this proportion has more than doubled (+ 24pp). 

About 1 out of 10 Europeans surveyed (8 %) admitted to having intentionally accessed online content 
through illegal sources over the last 12 months, somewhat below the figure reported in 2017 (- 2pp). 
Among  the  younger  age  groups,  the  proportion  using  pirated  online  content  is  higher  than  average. 
Interestingly, those who intentionally accessed online content from illegal sources, are also likely to have 
purchased online content. 

The availability of affordable content from legal sources is the most frequently mentioned reason to stop 
using pirated online content, followed by the risk of punishment and a better understanding of the harm 
caused to creators. Since 2017, the proportion citing that the availability of affordable content from legal 
sources would make them stop using pirated content has declined substantially (- 12pp). 

Europeans on average find it unacceptable to obtain content illegally from the internet, but the proportion 
that  condones  this  kind  of  behaviour  is  nonetheless  substantial.  Slightly  more  than  a  quarter  (28 %  and 
27 %, respectively) ‘totally agree’ or ‘tend to agree’ that it is acceptable to obtain content illegally from the 
internet when there is no immediately available legal alternative, or that it is acceptable to obtain content 
illegally from the internet when it is for personal use. 

Younger Europeans are more permissive in relation to pirated online content. More than 4 out of 10 (43 %) 
of those aged between 15 and 24 ‘totally agree’ or ‘tend to agree’ that it is acceptable to obtain content 
illegally  from  the  internet  when  there  is  no  immediately  available  legal  alternative.  A  similar  proportion 
(41 %) of those from the same age group also ‘totally agree’ or ‘tend to agree’ that it is acceptable to obtain 
content illegally from the internet when it is for personal use. 

37 

 
                                                                                 
 
 
 
 
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Figure 16: Attitude towards pirated online content (54) 

It is important to note that the share of those who ‘totally’ or ‘tend to’ agree that it is acceptable to obtain 
pirated online content for personal use has decreased substantially over the years, from 43 % in 2013 to 
27 % in 2020 (- 15pp) (see Figure 17). This change is particularly striking for young people aged between 
15 and 24, for whom the proportion who agree (‘totally’ or who ‘tend to agree’) that it is acceptable to obtain 
pirated online content for personal use declined from 59 % in 2013 to 41 % in 2020 (- 19pp). 

The proportion who agree that it is acceptable to obtain content illegally from the internet when there is no 
immediately  available  legal  alternative  has  also  declined,  from  32 %  in  2017  to  28 %  in  2020  (- 4pp). 
However, this figure remains higher than in 2013, when 23 % agreed that it is acceptable to obtain content 
illegally from the internet when there is no immediately available legal alternative. 

Figure 17: Attitude towards pirated online content – evolution (55) 

At country level, there are substantial differences in attitudes towards pirated online content. The proportion 
who ‘totally agree’ or ‘tend to agree’ that it is acceptable to obtain content illegally from the internet when 

(54)  Source:  Q3:  Please  tell  me  if  you  totally agree,  tend  to agree, agree, tend  to  disagree or totally disagree  with  the  followin g 
statements: (Total base; n= 25 636). TREND QUESTION. 
(55)  Source:  Q3:  Please  tell  me  if  you  totally agree,  tend  to agree, agree,  tend  to  disagree or totally disagree  with  the  following 
statements:  It is acceptable to obtain content  illegally  from the  internet  when  it  is  for  my personal use  (Total  base; n= 25  636). 
TREND QUESTION. 

38 

10%10%17%17%25%24%44%47%3%2%It is acceptable to obtain content illegally from theinternet when there is no immediately available legalalternativeIt is acceptable to obtain content illegally from theinternet when it is for my personal useTotally agreeTend to agreeTend to disagreeTotally disagreeDon't know/refused23%43%32%37%28%27%It is acceptable to obtain contentillegally from the internet when there isno immediately available legalalternativeIt is acceptable to obtain contentillegally from the internet when it is formy personal use202020172013Totally agree + tend to agree 
                                                                                 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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it is for personal use, varies between 46 % in Latvia and Slovenia and 13 % in Denmark (see Table 4). The 
share who agree (‘totally’ or who ‘tend to agree’) that it is acceptable to obtain content from the internet 
illegally when there is no immediately available legal alternative, ranges from 50 % in Bulgaria to 20 % in 
Finland. 

Table 4: Attitudes towards pirated online content per country 

It is acceptable to obtain content 
illegally from the internet when 
there is no immediately available 
legal alternative 
Totally + tend to agree* 

It is acceptable to obtain content 
illegally from the internet when it 
is for my personal use 

Totally + tend to agree* 

LV 
SI 
EE 
   CZ 
BE 
PL 
   HR 
BG 
LT 
LU 
SK 
FR 
PT 
   HU 
AT 
   RO 
   MT 
SE 
EU27 
FI 
IT 
   CY 
IE 
ES 
   NL 
EL 
   DE 
   DK 
                     * Difference with 2017 in brackets, in percentage points. 

50 % (+4) 
48 % (+3) 
44 % (-5) 
40 % (+1) 
38 % (-1) 
36 % (-3) 
36 % (-2) 
35 % (+5) 
35 % (-5) 
34 % (-8) 
32 % (-2) 
32 % (-5) 
31 % (-4) 
31 % (-9) 
31 % (+6) 
30 % (-10) 
30 % (+1) 
30 % (-4) 
30 % (-13) 
29 % (+2) 
28 % (-4) 
28 % (+3) 
27 % (=) 
23 % (-2) 
22 % (-12) 
21 % (-1) 
21 % (-8) 
20 % (-8) 

BG 
LV 
NL 
HR 
LT 
ES 
CY 
RO 
SI 
EL 
LU 
EE 
PT 
CZ 
HU 
BE 
MT 
PL 
SK 
IE 
EU27 
SE 
AT 
DK 
FR 
DE 
IT 
FI 

46 % (-4) 
46 % (-9) 
42 % (-10) 
41 % (-13) 
40 % (-4) 
40 % (-21) 
40 % (-1) 
38 % (-4) 
38 % (-3) 
36 % (-3) 
36 % (-16) 
31 % (-8) 
31 % (=) 
31 % (-5) 
30 % (-4) 
30 % (+4) 
29 % (-5) 
28 % (-1) 
27 % (-10) 
27 % (-13) 
26 % (-2) 
26 % (-11) 
25 % (+2) 
24 % (-18) 
23 % (-23) 
22 % (-12) 
17 % (-10) 
13 % (-9%) 

39 

 
                                                                                 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
 
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4.1  CONSUMPTION OF PIRATED ONLINE CONTENT 

Recent studies from across the world have noted a decrease in the proportion of the population using pirated 
online  content  (see  Section 1.2) ( 56 ).  This  development  is  also  visible  in  the  current  survey,  though 
differences with previous years are small. In 2020, 8 % of Europeans surveyed confess to having accessed, 
downloaded or streamed content from illegal online sources intentionally over the last 12 months, somewhat 
lower than in 2017 and 2013 (- 2pp). 

Figure 18: Accessed, downloaded or streamed content from illegal online sources intentionally (57) 

The proportion of Europeans who confess to having accessed, downloaded or streamed content from illegal 
online sources intentionally over the last 12 months ranges from 18 % in Luxembourg and 17 % in Slovenia, 
to 6 % in Greece, Poland and Italy, and only 4 % in Romania. Compared to 2017, the proportion admitting 
to having accessed content from illegal online sources intentionally clearly increased in Luxembourg and 
Slovakia (+ 5pp in both countries), though a notable decrease is observed in Spain, France and Greece 
(- 6pp in all three countries). 

(56) Note that this does not necessarily imply that the overall consumption of pirated online content is on the decline, as a smaller 
group of ‘heavy offenders’ might use more content from illegal online sources in absolute terms. Some existing studies suggest this 
is the case, see Section 1.2. 
(57) Source: Q4b: During the past 12 months, which of the following have you done? – Accessed, downloaded or streamed content 
from illegal online sources intentionally (Total base; n= 25 636). TREND QUESTION. 

40 

 
                                                                                 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Figure 19: Accessed content from illegal online sources intentionally per country (58) 

* Difference with 2017 in brackets, in percentage points. 

Who  uses  pirated  online  content?  Among  the  Europeans  surveyed,  the  intentional  use  of  pirated  online 
content is much higher than average (23 %) for those aged between 15 and 24, though the figure for this 
age  group  is  notably  lower  than  that  observed  in  2017,  when  29 %  of  15  to  24 year-olds  admitted  this 
behaviour.  In  line  with  this  finding,  the  use  of  pirated  online  content  is  also  higher  among  other  socio-
demographic  groups  with  a  relatively  lower  average  age,  including  students  and  people  living  in  larger 
households (the latter often being children). ‘Heavy online content users’ (see Section 1.1) are also more 
likely to have used pirated online content, with 17 % of this age group reporting to have obtained content 
from  illegal  online  sources  intentionally.  As  noted  in  Chapter 3,  people  who  intentionally  access  online 
content from illegal sources also often buy counterfeit goods and vice versa, suggesting that this kind of 
behaviour overlaps to a substantial degree. 

Table 5: Profile of those accessing illegal online content intentionally 

Variable 

Gender 
Male 
Female 
Age 
15-24 years 
25-39 years 
40-54 years 
55+years 
Age when left full-time education 
15 years 

Accessed pirated online 
content intentionally 

10 % 
6 % 

23 % 
12 % 
5 % 
3 % 

3 % 

(58) Source: Q4b: During the past 12 months, which of the following have you done? – Accessed, downloaded or streamed content 
from illegal online sources intentionally (Total base; n= 25 636). TREND QUESTION. 

41 

 
                                                                                 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Variable 

16-19 years 
20+years 
Still studying 
No full-time education 
Occupational status 
Self-employed 
Employee 
Manual worker 
Without a professional activity 
Urbanisation level 
Rural area or village 
Small or middle-sized town 
Large town 
Household size 
1 person 
2 persons 
3 persons 
4+ persons 
Online content use 
Heavy 
Limited 
None 
Bought counterfeit products intentionally 
Yes 
No 

Accessed pirated online 
content intentionally 
6 % 
6 % 
23 % 
12 % 

8 % 
7 % 
9 % 
9 % 

6 % 
7 % 
10 % 

6 % 
6 % 
10 % 
13 % 

17 % 
6 % 
2 % 

47 % 
6 % 

Compared to the use of pirated online content, the uploading of copyright-protected content on the internet 
(such as music, video, film or TV series) in order to share it with other internet users is less widespread, with 
only 7 % of Europeans surveyed acknowledging they had done this in the last 12 months. An even smaller 
number (3 %) admitted having used illicit streaming devices, such as set-top boxes with pre-installed apps, 
to access pirated content. However, both these illegal activities cannot be considered insignificant, as they 
have made substantial inroads among young people. Of those aged between 15 and 24, 15 % had uploaded 
copyright-protected content and 7 % had used illicit streaming devices. 

A substantial and steady share of Europeans question whether online sources are legal or not. In 2020, 
23 % wondered if a source where you can access/download or stream music or videos was legal, almost 
identical to the 24 % in 2017 (59). The proportion who research whether online content is from a legal source 
or  not  is  increasing.  In  2020,  close  to  one  fifth  (20 %)  researched  to  check  if  a  source where  you  could 
access/download or stream music or videos was legal or not, compared to 14 % in 2017 (+ 6pp). 

(59) This question item was rephrased in 2020, adding ‘access’ and ‘stream’. 

42 

 
                                                                                 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Figure 20: Consumption of pirated online content (60) 

* Question item rephrased in 2020, adding ‘access’ and ‘stream’. 
** Question item new in 2020 

As noted in the literature review (Section 1.2), many studies have reported a strong rise in the proportion 
of the population paying for legal sources of online content, a rise which is driven by an increase in the 
use of online subscription services, like Netflix or Spotify. The COVID-19 pandemic appears to have 
further reinforced the growth in consumption of online subscription services (61). 

This development is also clearly visible in the current study.  More than 4 out of 10 Europeans  surveyed 
(42 %) indicated having paid to access, download or stream copyright-protected content from a legal service 
on the internet within the last year. This is a 69 % (+ 17pp) increase compared to 2017, when a quarter 
(25 %) reported having paid for online content (see Figure 21). Compared to 2013, this figure has more than 
doubled (+ 24pp). The proportion who have paid for online content is above average among respondents 
aged between 15 and 39; 57 % of this latter group having paid for online content. 

(60) Source: Q4b: During the past 12 months, which of the following have you done? (Total base; n= 25 636). TREND QUESTION. 
(61) See for example: https://www.digitaltveurope.com/2020/05/11/coronavirus-accelerates-global-svod-growth/ 

43 

4%10%14%24%25%3%7%8%20%23%42%Accessed online content using illicit streamingdevices, such as set-top boxes with preinstalled appsto access pirated content**Uploaded copyright protected content on the internet(music, video, film or TV series) in order to share itwith other internet usersAccessed or downloaded or streamed content fromillegal online sources intentionallyResearched to check if a source where you couldaccess/download or stream music or videos waslegal or not*Wondered if a source where you couldaccess/download or stream music or videos waslegal or not*Paid to access, download or stream copyrightprotected content from a legal service on the internet(for instance music, video, film or TV series)20202017 
                                                                                 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
EUROPEAN CITIZENS AND INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY: 
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Figure 21: Paid for online content from a legal service (62) 

The proportion of people paying for online content from a legal service varies significantly across countries 
(see Figure 22 below). In Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Spain and Poland, more than half of the people pay 
for online content from a legal service, while at the other end of the scale, in Bulgaria, Greece, Romania, 
Latvia, Belgium, Slovakia and Croatia, less than a third do so. 

Figure 22: Paid for online content from a legal service per country (63) 

* Difference with 2017 in brackets, in percentage points. 

Previous  studies  have  shown  that  people  who  use  pirated  content  are  frequently  willing  to  pay  for  legal 
content  (see  Section 1.2) ( 64 ).  This  is  confirmed  by  the  current  survey,  which  shows  that  those  who 

(62) Source: Q4b: During the past 12 months, which of the following have you done? - Paid to access, download or stream copyright-
protected content from a legal service on the internet (for instance music, video, film or TV series (Total base; n= 25 636). TREND 
QUESTION. 
(63) Source: Q4b: During the past 12 months, which of the following have you done? - Paid to access, download or stream copyright-
protected content from a legal service on the internet (for instance music, video, film or TV series (Total base; n= 25 636). TREND 
QUESTION. 
(64) See for instance the ‘Global Online Piracy Study’ by the University of Amsterdam, which concluded that pirates are more likely 
to be legal users of online content than non-pirates, with the median legal consumption of pirates typically being twice that of non-
pirates. Available at: https://www.ivir.nl/publicaties/download/Global-Online-Piracy-Study.pdf 

44 

58%57%55%54%51%46%45%45%42%42%42%41%41%40%FISEDKESPLLUMTITIEPTEU27CYFRAT39%39%39%38%36%35%33%32%31%30%30%30%25%24%LTDECZSINLHUEEBGELROLVBESKHR(+20)(+13)(+8)(+23)(+2)(+30)(+29)(+8)(+32)(+17)(+28)(+21)(+15)(+9)(+14)(+17)(+20)(+10)(-8)(+14)(+13)(+18)(+13)(+19)(+5)(+11)(+5)(+10) 
                                                                                 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
EUROPEAN CITIZENS AND INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY: 
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intentionally accessed online content from illegal sources, are relatively likely to have also purchased online 
content from legal sources, with 59 % of this group reporting that they paid to access, download or stream 
copyright-protected content from a legal service on the internet. 

4.2  REASONS FOR USING, OR NOT USING, PIRATED ONLINE CONTENT 

What would stop users of pirated online content? As can be observed in the figure below (Figure 23), the 
availability of affordable content from legal sources is the most common reason given to stop using pirated 
online content, with 58 % of those who have used content from illegal sources mentioning this (65). This is 
followed by the risk of punishment and a better understanding of the harm caused to musicians, writers, 
artists, etc. – 35 % and 31 % respectively mention these as reasons to stop using pirated online content. As 
can be seen in the chart, compared to 2017, in 2020 the proportion citing that the availability of affordable 
content from legal sources would make them stop using pirated content is substantially lower (-12pp). This 
might  be  explained  by  the  offer  of  affordable  legal  content  being  better  nowadays  (see  also  Chapter 5), 
making this a less obvious excuse for using illegal sources for online content. 

Figure 23: What would make people stop using pirated online content (66) 

For those who reported that they did not use pirated online content, the main driver behind their decision 
is the availability of affordable content from legal sources, with about half (48 %) of them mentioning this 
as a reason why they do not use pirated content. However, compared to those who did use pirated online 
content, those who did not are more likely to refer to the negative effects of online piracy. Notably, about 
half (48 %) of those not using pirated online content said it is because they understand that this behaviour 
harms musicians, writers, artists and creators. 4 out of 10 (40 %) of those not using pirated online content 
linked this to their understanding of the harm caused by their behaviour to jobs and the EU economy. This 

(65) This is in line with the findings in many other studies which show that the availability of affordable content from legal sources is 
the key driver for using pirated online content or not, see Section 1.2. 
(66)  Source:  Q9a:  You  indicated  that  you  had  intentionally  used  illegal  sources  (websites)  for  online  content  during  the  past 
12 months. What are all the elements that would make you stop using illegal sources? (Total base; n= 2 434). TREND QUESTION. 

45 

58%35%31%30%30%22%8%1%70%44%29%35%36%28%5%4%Availability of affordable content from legal sourcesRisk of punishmentA better understanding of the harm caused by my behaviour to the musicians, writers, artists, creators…Bad experience of others with illegal sources (e.g. malware…)Personal bad experience with illegal sourcesA better understanding of the harm caused by mybehaviour on jobs and on the EU economyNothing would make me stopDon’t know/refused 20202017 
                                                                                 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
EUROPEAN CITIZENS AND INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY: 
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suggests that there is a relation between awareness of, and the use of, pirated online content, similar to 
the  relation  that  is  observed  between  awareness  of,  and  the  purchase  of,  counterfeit  goods  (see 
Section 3.3). 

Figure 24: Reasons for not using pirated online content (67) 

(67) Source: Q9b: You indicated that you  have NOT used illegal sources (websites) intentionally for online content  over the past 
12 months. What was the reason for this? (Total base; n= 22680). NEW QUESTION. 

46 

48%48%40%28%25%16%16%3%Availability of affordable content from legal sources A better understanding of the harm caused by mybehaviour to the musicians, writers, artists, creatorsA better understanding of the harm caused by mybehaviour on jobs and on the EU economyRisk of punishmentBad experience of others with illegal sources (e.g. malware…)Nothing would make me stopPersonal bad experience with illegal sourcesDon’t know/refused  
                                                                                 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
EUROPEAN CITIZENS AND INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY: 
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5.  LEGAL SOURCES OF ONLINE CONTENT – AWARENESS AND 
OPINIONS 

Europeans’  awareness  of  the  availability  of  legal  offers  to  access  online  content (68)  in  their  country 
continues to rise. At least two-thirds are aware of the availability of legal offers to access films, music 
and  TV  series  in  their  country.  No  matter  the  type  of  online  content,  awareness  of  legal  offers  is 
significantly higher now in 2020 than 3 years ago, reflecting a continuing growth in legal offers to access 
digital content on the market. 

Europeans appear to have a clear preference for legal online content, if reasonably priced. The clear 
majority (89 %) ‘totally agree’ or ‘tend to agree’ with the statement ‘Whenever there is an affordable legal 
option  I  prefer  to  access/download/stream  content  through  authorised  platforms  and  do  not 
access/download/stream illegally’. 

There is a significant rise in the proportion agreeing that the quality (+ 22pp) and diversity (+ 14pp) of 
the content offered is better through legal services compared to illegal sources since the first study in 
this  survey  in  2013.  This  is  also  the  case  in  relation  to  the  preference  for  using  legal  sources,  if 
affordable, but is not as pronounced (+ 9pp). 

5.1  AWARENESS OF LEGAL OFFERS 

Continuing the trend observed in the previous study, Europeans’ awareness of legal offers to access online 
content (69) in their country is relatively high. At least two-thirds are aware of the availability of legal offers to 
access films, music and TV series in their country. No matter the type of online content, awareness of legal 
offers is significantly higher now in 2020 than 3 years ago, reflecting a continuing growth in legal offers to 
access digital content on the market. 

(68) Source: Q6: Among the type of content listed below, for which one(s) are you aware of legal offers accessible in your country 
to access or download/stream them on the internet? 
(69) Source: Q6: Among the type of content listed below, for which one(s) are you aware of legal offers accessible in your country 
to access or download/stream them on the internet? 

47 

 
                                                                                 
 
 
 
 
 
EUROPEAN CITIZENS AND INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY: 
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Figure 25: Awareness of legal offers (70) 

These  figures  on  the  awareness  of  the  availability  of  legal  offers  are  related  to  people’s  personal 
characteristics, with the younger age groups being more aware of legal offers for music, films, TV series and 
video games, whilst those who are older (55+years) are least likely to be aware of these types of legal offers. 
Awareness is also lower among those who have only reached a low level of education, those who don’t live 
in a large town, those who do not work, and those who are either not online or are not heavy internet users. 

5.2  OPINIONS ON LEGAL OFFERS 

The  survey  not  only  covers  how  aware  the  general  public  is  about  the  availability  of  legal  offers  in  their 
country, it also gauges their opinions about what might drive preferences for these legal offers. 

(70) Source: Q6: Among the type of content listed below, for which one(s) are you aware of legal offers accessible in your country 
to access or download/stream them on the internet? (Total base; n= 25636) 

48 

69%68%66%64%62%57%51%48%4%7%55%60%51%53%51%47%41%40%4%17%52%62%47%52%46%41%43%43%5%19%FilmsMusic, including audio booksTV seriesNewspapers, including E-newspapers and magazinesBooks,  including E-booksLive sports eventsVideo games, including App games for tablet or smart phonePhotographsNoneDon't know/refused202020172013MUSIC INCL. AUDIOBOOKSBOOKS/E-BOOKSTV SERIESFILMSVIDEO GAMESLIVE SPORT EVENTSE-NEWSPAPERS AND MAGAZINESPHOTOGRAPHSDON’T KNOW/REFUSEDNONE 
                                                                                 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
EUROPEAN CITIZENS AND INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY: 
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Figure 26: Opinions on legal offers (71) 

Europeans appear to have a clear preference for legal online content, if reasonably priced. The clear majority 
(89 %) ‘totally agree’ or ‘tend to agree’ with the statement ‘Whenever there is an affordable legal option I 
prefer to access/download/stream content through authorised platforms and do not access/download/stream 
illegally’. The preference for affordable legal online content was visible across socio-demographic groups. 
However, those who left education before they were 15 were less likely to agree with this statement (78 % 
agreed) compared to 91 % of those with the highest level of education (aged 20+). 

Opinions are also positive regarding the quality and diversity of content offered by legal services. Notably, 
more than three quarters (76 %) ‘totally agree’ or ‘tend to agree’ that the quality of content offered by legal 
services is better than what can be found through illegal solutions. Contrary to what was observed in the two 
earlier studies in the survey, the belief that the quality of content offered by lawful services is better than 
what can be found through illegal sources is also no longer a statement associated more with the younger 
demographics (72). Breaking this down by age group shows the similarities across the different age groups; 
75 % agreed among those aged 15-24, 78 % among those aged 25-39, 80 % among those aged 40-54 and 
73 % among those aged 55+. Though the older age group were also more likely to say that they ‘didn’t know’ 
or to refuse to answer the question about the quality of legal offers. 

Those with a higher level of education are more likely to be of the opinion that the quality of content offered 
by legal services is better than those from illegal sources – 77 % of Europeans with the highest level of 
education  say  legal  services  offer  high  quality  content  compared  to  69 %  of  those  who  finished  their 
education before age 15. 

The greater diversity of the content offered by legal services compared to what can be found through illegal 
offers is less compelling in comparison, though a majority of 64 % still agreed with this statement. This is 
fairly stable across the different socio-demographic profiles. 

(71) Source: Q7: For each of the following statements regarding legal offers providing access to content such as music and films on 
the internet, please indicate whether you totally agree, tend to agree, tend to disagree, totally disagree: (Total base; n= 25636). 
TREND QUESTION. 
(72) In 2017, 75 % of those aged 15-24 totally agreed or tended to agree that the quality of content offered by legal services is 
better than what can be found through illegal sources, whereas just 64 % of those aged 55 and older totally agreed or tended to 
agree with this statement. 

49 

71%50%40%18%26%25%4%8%14%4%5%9%10%13%Whenever there is an affordable legaloption I prefer to access/download/streamcontent through authorised platforms anddo not access/download/stream illegallyThe quality of content offered by legalservices is better than what can be foundthrough illegal solutionsThe diversity of content offered by legalservices is better than what can be foundthrough illegal offersTotally agreeTend to agreeTend to disagreeTotally disagreeDon't know/refused 
                                                                                 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
EUROPEAN CITIZENS AND INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY: 
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Noticeably, there is a significant rise in the proportion agreeing that the quality is better through legal services 
compared  to  illegal  sources  since  the  first  study  in  this  survey  in  2013.  The  proportion  who  showed  a 
preference for legal online content, if affordable, has also increased over the years by 9 %. However, it is 
not as dramatic as the rise since 2013 in the percentage of those that agree that the quality (+ 22pp) and 
diversity  (+ 14pp)  of  content  offered  by  legal  services  is  better  than  what  can  be  found  through  illegal 
sources. 

Figure 27: Opinions on legal offers, trend since 2013 (73) 

The  analysis  also  investigated  the  online  behaviour  of  the  general  public  in  Europe  and  their  opinions 
related to the affordability, quality and diversity of the legal options over the illegal options to access digital 
content. Looking at those who have paid for legal online content compared to those who have not, it is 
clear that those who have paid are more likely to agree that the quality is better on legal services (81 % 
compared to 73 %) and to prefer legal options when affordable (94 % compared to 86 %). However, those 
who have paid for legal online content are no more convinced that the diversity of the content offered by 
these legal services is better compared to those who have not paid for legal online content (65 % compared 
to 64 %). 

On the flip side, those who have intentionally accessed online content illegally are less likely to agree with 
the positive statements about legal offers – 67 % agree that the quality of content through legal services is 
better (compared to the average of 76 %), 47 % agree that the diversity of content is better through legal 
services  (compared  to  64 %  on  average).  Whilst  those who have  intentionally  accessed  online  content 
illegally are less likely to say that they prefer content from legal sources, if affordable, compared to those 
who have accessed online content legally, the gap between the two groups is smaller at 82 % compared 
to 89 % on average. 

(73) Source: Q7: For each of the following statements regarding legal offers providing access to content such as music and films on 
the internet, please indicate whether you totally agree, tend to agree, tend to disagree, totally disagree: (Tota l base; n= 25636). 
TREND QUESTION. 

50 

54%50%80%69%54%83%76%64%89%The quality of content offered by legalservices is better than what can be foundthrough illegal solutionsThe diversity of content offered by legalservices is better than what can be foundthrough illegal offersWhenever there is an affordable legaloption I prefer to access/download/streamcontent through authorised platforms anddo not access/download/stream illegally202020172013Totally agree + tend to agree 
                                                                                 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
CONCLUSION 

Intellectual property – Awareness and opinions 

Are  EU  citizens  aware  of  IP  and  its  advantages  to  society  and  themselves?  At  first  sight,  the  answer  is 
affirmative.  EU  citizens’  subjective  or  ‘self-declared’  understanding  of  IP  remains  high  at  80 %  (+ 2pp 
compared to 2017). And many Europeans acknowledge IP’s potential benefits to society. Almost all (98 %) 
‘totally agree’ or ‘tend to agree’ that it is important that inventors, creators and performing artists are able to 
protect  their  rights  and  be  paid  for  their  work.  Only  a  slightly  smaller  proportion  (90 %)  agree  that  IP 
contributes to improving and guaranteeing the quality of products and services. 

An important finding is that subjective  awareness of IP is considerably below average among those who 
bought counterfeit goods (70 %) or intentionally accessed pirated online content (73 %). This suggests that 
that  those  with  little  understanding  of  IP  are  more  likely  to  infringe  it,  showing  the  potential  benefits  of 
promoting awareness of IP among the public. There is still room for improvement here, as IP remains an 
ambiguous topic for many Europeans, similar to what was reported in the IP Perception survey’s previous 
studies. Few Europeans (4 %, - 1pp compared to 2017) list consumers like themselves among those who 
benefit  most  from  IP.  Many  more  (21 %)  still  believe  that  IP  mainly  benefits  the  ‘elite’,  such  as  famous 
performing artists – the same proportion as in 2017. 

Nonetheless, positive trends can be observed. The share of Europeans who think that IP is most beneficial 
to the creators of artistic content has doubled, from 10 % in 2017 to 20 % in 2020, although it should be 
stressed  that  two  more  categories  were  added  to  this  question  item  in  2020  (‘authors/writers’  and 
‘filmmakers’).  Moreover,  the  share  of  those  answering  that  large  firms  benefit  the  most  from  IP  declined 
substantially compared to 2017, from 24 % to 15 %. 

Counterfeit goods – Opinions and consumption 

Europeans are generally aware of the negative effects of counterfeit goods on the economy and health and 
safety. More than 8 out of 10 (83 %) agree that buying counterfeit goods ruins businesses and jobs. 7 out of 
10 (71 %) agree that buying counterfeit products poses a threat to health and safety. Furthermore, only a 
small minority of EU citizens see valid reasons for buying counterfeit goods. Only 15 % of Europeans agree 
that it is acceptable to buy luxury counterfeit products. Only slightly more (19 % to 24 %) agree that it is 
acceptable to buy counterfeit products when the quality of the product does not matter, when the original 
product is not (or not yet) available where you live, or when the price of the original, authentic product is too 
high. These figures have generally improved compared to 2017. 

Does this translate into a decrease in the proportion of people who are buying counterfeit goods? This is 
difficult to say, as no clear trend can be observed. Over the last 3 years the proportion of Europeans who 
admit  to  having  intentionally  purchased  counterfeit  goods  during  the  previous  12 months  has  declined 
slightly, from 7 % in 2017 to 5 % in 2020. Compared to 2013, however, it has hardly changed (4 %). Younger 
people are more likely to admit having purchased counterfeits intentionally (10 % of those aged 15 to 24 
admitted this), although their over-representation is much less pronounced than in the case for pirated online 
content (see below). 

It  should  be  borne  in  mind  that  the  above  only  tells  us  about  the  admitted  and  intentional  buying  of 
counterfeits. The available evidence, both from the current survey and other studies, suggests that the actual 
proportion of people who buy counterfeits is substantially higher than reported above, as people are tricked 
into buying counterfeits, or are unsure whether products they have bought are genuine or not. In the current 
survey, a third of Europeans (33 %) wondered during the last 12 months whether a product they had bought 
was original or not, down from 37 % in 2017. About 1 out of 10 (9 %) was misled into buying counterfeits 
during the previous year, a figure that has remained more or less stable since 2017 (- 1pp). 

 
 
 
 
 
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In people’s decision to buy counterfeit goods or not, the availability of affordable genuine products plays a 
crucial role. About half (52 %) of those buying counterfeits say the availability of affordable genuine products 
would  make  them  stop  buying  counterfeits.  Interestingly,  reputational  damage  is  also  becoming  a  more 
compelling reason to stop buying counterfeits, with more respondents (17 %; + 5pp) saying they would not 
buy counterfeits because this may harm their image. This suggests that buying or possessing counterfeits 
is increasingly frowned upon by society. 

Pirated online content – Opinions and consumption 

While Europeans generally condemn the use of pirated online content, slightly more than a quarter still agree 
that it is acceptable to obtain pirated online content when there is no immediately available legal alternative 
or when it is for personal use. The upside is that the acceptance of using pirated online content for personal 
use is clearly dropping (- 15pp since 2013). 

It is also encouraging that Europeans are increasingly paying for legal sources of online content. More than 
4 out of 10 Europeans surveyed (42 %) had paid to access, download or stream copyright-protected content 
from a legal service on the internet over the last 12 months, a very significant (+ 17pp) increase since 2017. 
Compared to 2013, this proportion has more than doubled (+ 24pp). It is likely that this is related to the quick 
growth  in  the  availability  and  use  of  online  subscription  services  for  digital  content,  such  as  Netflix  and 
Spotify, which has been reported in many existing studies and has only been reinforced by the COVID-19 
pandemic. 

Does the increasing readiness to pay for legal sources of online content translate into a lower number of 
‘online pirates’ in the EU, as may be expected, based on the results from other surveys (see Section 1.2)? 
The results of the survey suggest that this is indeed the case, although to a limited extent. About 1 out of 10 
Europeans surveyed (8 %) admitted to having intentionally accessed online content through illegal sources 
during the last 12 months, somewhat below the figures reported in 2017 and 2013 (- 2pp). However, it cannot 
be concluded from this that there is less online piracy on an aggregate level, as a lower number of ‘heavy 
offenders’ may consume more online content obtained via illegal sources. 

As has been shown before in many other surveys, including by the EUIPO, the proportion of younger people 
using pirated online content is significantly higher than average. Of those aged between 15 and 24, 23 % 
admitted  the  intentional  use  of  pirated  online  content.  Young  people  are  also  more  likely  to  use  novel 
technologies to obtain online content illegally, such as by means of illicit streaming devices. Of those aged 
15 to 24, 7 % had used these devices in the previous 12 months, compared to 3 % of the population as a 
whole. While this is still a small proportion of the population, it should serve as a warning for the future, 
considering the much higher use of illicit streaming devices and other novel technologies to obtain online 
content illegally also found in other, non-European surveys. 

Interestingly,  those who intentionally accessed  online  content  from  illegal  sources,  are  relatively  likely  to 
have also purchased online content from legal sources, with 59 % of this group reporting that they paid to 
access, download or stream copyright-protected content from a legal service on the internet. This suggests 
that people who use pirated content are willing to pay for legal content (at least if it is reasonably priced), a 
finding that is supported by other studies. 

The availability of affordable content from legal sources is the most common reason  given to stop using 
pirated online content, with 58 % of those who have used content from illegal sources mentioning this as a 
reason to stop. This is followed by the risk of punishment and a better understanding of the harm caused to 
musicians, writers, artists, etc. –35 % and 31 % respectively mention these as reasons to stop using illegal 
sources of online content. Since 2017, the proportion citing that the availability of affordable content from 
legal sources would make them stop using pirated content has declined substantially (- 12pp). It is likely that 
this  is  related  to  the  increased  legal  offers  (see  below),  making  ‘availability’  a  less  obvious  ‘excuse’  for 
accessing pirated online content. 

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Legal sources of online content – Awareness and opinions 

Europeans’ awareness of the availability of legal offers to access online content in their country continues 
to rise, reflecting the widely reported growth in the market for subscription services for online content. 
Currently, at least two-thirds are aware of the availability of legal offers to access films, music and TV 
series in their country. No matter the type of online content, awareness of legal offers is significantly higher 
now in 2020 compared to 3 years ago. 

The increasing awareness about the availability of legal offers coincides with an increasing appreciation for 
what is on offer. There is a significant rise in the proportion of those who agreed that the quality (+ 22pp) 
and diversity (+ 14pp) of content offered is better through legal services compared to illegal sources since 
the first study in this survey in 2013. 

Does the increased awareness and appreciation of legal offers drive the observed increase in the number 
of Europeans who pay for online content? This does not appear unlikely, based on the fact that the great 
majority of Europeans (89 %) ‘totally agree’ or ‘tend to agree’ with the statement ‘Whenever there is an 
affordable legal option I prefer to access/download/stream content through authorised platforms and do 
not access/download/stream illegally’. 

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ANNEX 1: QUESTIONNAIRE 

During the past 3 months, which of the following have you done? [SINGLE ANSWER] 

1. Streamed or downloaded music or audio books 
2. Streamed or downloaded films or TV series 
3. Streamed live sports events 
4. Downloaded e-books or read e-books online 
5. Read newspapers and magazines online  
6. Downloaded photographs 
7. Downloaded video games (This also includes App games to be played on tablet or smart phone) 
8. None 
9. Don’t know/refused 

Q1 Personally, would you say that you have a very good, rather good, rather poor or very poor 
understanding of the meaning of the term “intellectual property” [SINGLE ANSWER] 

1. Very good 
2. Rather good 
3. Rather poor 
4. Very poor 
9. Don’t know/refused  

Q2 [SINGLE RESPONSE, RANDOMISE OPTION 1-9] 
Intellectual property is a set of principles and rules that enable inventors, performers, artists and 
authors to protect the rights they have over their creation and receive reward. 

In your opinion, who benefits the most from the protection of intellectual property? 

1. Consumers like yourself 
2. Big companies 
3. Small and medium companies 
4. Famous performing artists (musicians, singers, actors) 
5. Less well-known performing artists (musicians, singers, actors) 
6. Inventors 
7. Creators of artistic content like photographers, sculptors, painters, authors/writers, filmmakers 
8. Politicians 
9. Website, app and video game developers 
10. None 
999. Don’t know/refused 

Q3 [SINGLE PROGRESSIVE GRID] 
Please tell me if you totally agree, tend to agree, tend to disagree or totally disagree with the 
following statements: 

Rows [RANDOMISE] 
1. It is acceptable to purchase counterfeit products when the price for the original and authentic product 

is too high 

2. It is acceptable to buy counterfeit products when the original product is not or not yet available where 

you live 

3. It is acceptable to buy counterfeit products when the quality of the product does not matter 

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4. It is acceptable to buy counterfeit products when it concerns luxury products 
5. It is acceptable to obtain content illegally from the internet when there is no immediately available legal 

alternative 

6. It is acceptable to obtain content illegally from the internet when it is for my personal use 
7. Buying counterfeit products ruins businesses and jobs 
8. Buying counterfeit products supports child labour and illegal trafficking 
9. Buying counterfeit products poses a threat to health and safety 
10. Buying counterfeit products is an act of protest and a way to resist to the market driven economy and 

the large premium brands 

11. It is acceptable to obtain content illegally from the internet when the price for the original and 

authentic content is too high 

12. Obtaining illegal online content such as music, video, film or TV series exposes you to harmful 

practices such as scams, computer viruses or inappropriate content for minors 

Columns 
1. Totally agree 
2. Tend to agree 
3. Tend to disagree 
4. Totally disagree 
9. Don’t know/refused 

Q4a [SINGLE PROGRESSIVE GRID] 
During the past 12 months, which of the following have you done? 

Rows [RANDOMISE] 
1. Bought counterfeit products intentionally 
2. Bought counterfeit products as a result of being misled 
3. Wondered if a product you bought was genuine or counterfeit 

Columns 
1. Yes 
2. No 
9. Don’t know/refused  

Q4b [SINGLE PROGRESSIVE GRID] 
During the past 12 months, which of the following have you done? 
Rows [RANDOMISE] 
1. Accessed or downloaded or streamed content from illegal online sources intentionally 
2. Paid to access, download or stream copyright protected content from a legal service on the internet 

(for instance music, video, film or TV series) 

3. Uploaded copyright protected content on the internet (music, video, film or TV series) in order to share 

it with other internet users 

4. Wondered if a source where you could access/download or stream music or videos was legal or not 
5. Researched to check if a source where you could access/download or stream music or videos was 

legal or not 

6. Accessed online content using illicit streaming devices, such as set-top boxes with pre-installed apps 

to access pirated content 

Columns 
1. Yes 
2. No 
9. Don’t know/refused  

Q5 [SINGLE PROGRESSIVE GRID] 

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Please indicate whether you totally agree, tend to agree, tend to disagree or totally disagree with 
each of the following statements: 

Rows [RANDOMISE] 
1. Protecting Intellectual Property is important so no one can claim being the creator of a piece of art or 

the inventor of something when in reality this is not the case 

2. Protecting Intellectual Property is important because it contributes to improving and guaranteeing the 

quality of products and services 

3. If there was no longer any Intellectual Property protection, there would be economic chaos 
4. It is important that inventors, creators and performing artists could protect their rights and be paid for 

their work 

5. Companies that create a lot of Intellectual Property (that hold patents, trade marks, designs, 

copyrights, trade secrets) contribute significantly more than the others to the creation of jobs or growth 

6. Strict protection of Intellectual Property may curb innovation 
7. The Intellectual Property principles are not adapted to the internet 

Columns 
1. Totally agree 
2. Tend to agree 
3. Tend to disagree 
4. Totally disagree 
9. Don’t know/refused  

Q6 [MULTIPLE ANSWER, RANDOMISE OPTIONS 1-8] 
Among the type of content listed below, for which one(s) are you aware of legal offers accessible 
in your country to access or download/stream them on the internet? 

1. Music (This also includes audio books) 
2. Films 
3. TV series 
4. Live sports events 
5. Books (This also includes E-books) 
6. Newspapers (This also includes E-newspapers and magazines) 
7. Photographs 
8. Video games (This also includes App games to be played on tablet or smart phone) 
9. None 
999. Don’t know/refused  

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Q7 [SINGLE PROGRESSIVE GRID] 
For each of the following statements regarding legal offers providing access to content such as 
music and films on the internet, please indicate whether you totally agree, tend to agree, tend to 
disagree, totally disagree: 

Rows [RANDOMISE] 
1. The quality of content offered by legal services is better than what can be found through illegal 

solutions 

2. The diversity of content offered by legal services is better than what can be found through illegal offers 
3. Whenever there is an affordable legal option I prefer to access/download/stream content through 

authorised platforms and do not access/download/stream illegally 

Columns 
1. Totally agree 
2. Tend to agree 
3. Tend to disagree 
4. Totally disagree 
9. Don’t know/refused  

Base: IF Q4a_1=1 
Q8a [MULTIPLE ANSWER, RANDOMISE OPTIONS 1-7] 
You indicated that you have intentionally bought counterfeit products during the past 12 months. 
What are all the elements that would make you stop buying counterfeit products?  

1. Risk of punishment 
2. Personal bad experience with a counterfeit product 
3. Bad experience of others with a counterfeit product 
4. Harm to my image: others would judge me because of having or wearing counterfeit items 
5. Availability of affordable original products 
6. A better understanding of the harm caused by my behaviour on jobs and on the EU economy 
7. A better understanding of the harm caused by my behaviour to the producers of the original products 
8. Nothing would make me stop 
9. Don’t know/refused 

Base: IF Q4a_1=2 
Q8b [MULTIPLE ANSWER, RANDOMISE OPTIONS 1-7] 
You indicated that you have NOT intentionally bought counterfeit products during the past 12 
months. 

What was the reason for this? Please indicate all that apply. 

1. Risk of punishment 
2. Personal bad experience with a counterfeit product 
3. Bad experience of others with a counterfeit product 
4. Harm to my image: others would judge me because of having or wearing counterfeit items 
5. Availability of affordable original products 
6. A better understanding of the harm caused by my behaviour on jobs and on the EU economy 
7. A better understanding of the harm caused by my behaviour to the producers of the original products 
8. No specific reason [SINGLE ANSWER] 
9. Don’t know/refused  

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Base: IF Q4b_1=1 
Q9a [MULTIPLE ANSWER, RANDOMISE OPTIONS 1-6] 
You indicated that you used illegal sources (websites) intentionally for online content during the 
past 12 months. 

What are all the elements that would make you stop using illegal sources? Please indicate all that 
apply. 

1. Risk of punishment 
2. Personal bad experience with illegal sources 
3. Bad experience of others with illegal sources (e.g. malware…) 
4. Availability of affordable content from legal sources 
5. A better understanding of the harm caused by my behaviour to the musicians, writers, artists, 

creators… 

6. A better understanding of the harm caused by my behaviour on jobs and on the EU economy 
7. Nothing would make me stop [SINGLE ANSWER] 
9. Don’t know/refused [SINGLE ANSWER] 

Base: IF Q4b_1=2 
Q9b [MULTIPLE ANSWER, RANDOMISE OPTIONS 1-6] 
You indicated that you did NOT use illegal sources (websites) intentionally for online content 
during the past 12 months. 

What was the reason for this? Please indicate all that apply. 

1. Risk of punishment 
2. Personal bad experience with illegal sources 
3. Bad experience of others with illegal sources (e.g. malware…) 
4. Availability of affordable content from legal sources 
5. A better understanding of the harm caused by my behaviour to the musicians, writers, artists, 

creators... 

6. A better understanding of the harm caused by my behaviour on jobs/on the EU economy 
7. No specific reason [SINGLE ANSWER] 
9. Don’t know/refused [SINGLE ANSWER] 

VI. SOCIO-DEMOGRAPHIC QUESTIONS 

D5 [SINGLE ANSWER] 
How old were you when you stopped full-time education? 

1. 15- 
2. 16-19 
3. 20+ 
4. Still Studying 
5. No full-time education 
9. Don’t know/refused  

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D6 [SINGLE ANSWER] 
As far as your current occupation is concerned, would you say you are self-employed, an employee, a 
manual worker or would you say that you are without a professional activity? Does it mean that you are 
a… 

Self employed 
1. Farmer, forester, fisherman 
2. Owner of shop, craftsman 
3.  Professional (lawyer, medical practitioner, accountant, arch 
4. Manager of a company 
5. Other (Self-employed) 

Employee 
6. Professional (employed doctor, lawyer, accountant, architect 
7. General management, director or top management 
8. Middle management 
9. Civil servant 
10. Office clerk 
11. Other employee (salesman, nurse, ...) 
12. Other (Employee) 

Manual worker 
13. Supervisor\ foreman (team manager, ...) 
14. Manual worker 
15. Unskilled manual worker 
16. Other (Manual worker) 

Without a professional activity 
17. Looking after the home 
18. Student (full time) 
19. Retired 
20. Seeking a job 
21. Other (Without a professional activity) 

99. Don’t know/refused  

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D7 [SINGLE ANSWER] 
In which region do you currently live? 
99. Don’t know/refused  

D8 [SINGLE ANSWER]  
Would you say that you live in….? 
Interviewer instruction: Read all answers except DK – one answer only 

1. Rural area or village  
2. Small or middle-sized town 
3. Large town 
99. Don’t know/refused Interviewer instruction: Do not read out 

D9 [Q, MIN 1, MAX 15] 
How many people aged 15 and older usually live in your household? Please include yourself. 

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ANNEX 2: LITERATURE REVIEW STUDIES 

Name of study/survey (year of 
release) 

Author 

Coverage 

Global Online Piracy Study (2018) 

Institute for Information Law, 
University of Amsterdam 

Global Consumer Piracy Survey 
(2017) 

Irdeto 

Worldwide (France, Germany, 
Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden, 
UK, Brazil, Canada, Hong Kong, 
Indonesia, Japan and Thailand) 

Worldwide (Argentina, Australia, Austria, 
Brazil, China, Colombia, Denmark, 
Egypt, GCC (GCC region cluster 
comprised of Saudi Arabia, UAE, 
Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman), 
Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Mexico, 
Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, 
Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, 
Ukraine, UK and US. 

Social media: Insights into 
consumer shopping behaviour 
(2019) 

Vitreous Worldwide 

Worldwide (cross 
section of countries, including the UK., 
US, Germany, France and Italy) 

Music Listening 2019 (2019) 

International Federation of 
the Phonographic Industry 
(IFPI) 

Worldwide (Argentina, Australia, Brazil, 
Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, 
Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, 
Poland, Russia, South Africa, South 
Korea, Spain, Sweden, the UK and the 
US), plus China and India (not included 
in “global” figures). 

Gen Z Insights: Brands and 
Counterfeit Products (2019) 

International Trademark 
Association (INTA)  

Worldwide (Argentina, China, India, 
Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Nigeria, 
Russia, United States) 

MarkMonitor Online Shopping 
Barometer q4 2018 (2018) 

MarkMonitor 

Worldwide (UK, US, Germany, France 
and Italy) 

Combatting illicit trade consumer 
motivations and Stakeholder 
perspectives (2018) 

Oxford Economics 

Worldwide (Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, 
Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, 
Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, 
Finland, France, Germany, Greece, 
Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Kazakhstan, 
Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, 
Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, 
Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, 
Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, 
Turkey, UK, Ukraine) 

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Name of study/survey (year of 
release) 

Author 

Coverage 

Global Software Survey (2018) 

BSA | The Software Alliance  Worldwide (32 countries, not specified) 

Study of Online Consumption of 
Copyrighted Content: Attitudes 
Toward and Prevalence of 
Copyright Infringement in Canada 
(2018) 

Counterfeit products are endemic 
– and it is damaging brand value 
(2019) 

Online Copyright Infringement 
Tracker Latest wave of research 
(March 2018) 

Counterfeit athletic footwear 
online (2018) 

Science and Economic 
Development Canada 

National (Canada) 

Incopro 

National (UK) 

UK Intellectual Property 
Office (IPO) 

National (UK) 

Red Points 

National (US) 

Busan Consumers’ Perception of 
Counterfeit Products (2017) 

The European Chamber of 
Commerce in Korea (ECCK) 

National (South Korea) 

University IP Policy: perception 
and practice how students and 
staff understand intellectual 
property policy at their HEI (2017) 

Survey on Public Awareness of 
Intellectual Property Right 
Protection 2018 (2019)  

Jogvédett online tartalmak, 
hamisított termékek - kutatás a 
18-26 éves fiatal felnőttek 
körében (2020) 

Intellectual Property 
Awareness Network (IPAN) 

National (UK) 

Intellectual Property 
Department (The 
Government of the Hong 
Kong Special Administrative 
Region) 

National (Hong Kong) 

National Board Against 
Counterfeiting (NBAC) 

National (Hungary) 

Indagine sulla contraffazione in 
Italia (Survey on counterfeiting in 
Italy) (2018) 

Consumer Protection 
Association (Associazione 
per la tutela dei consumatori) 

National (Italy) 

La Pirateria nel mondo del libro 
[Piracy in the book world] (2020) 

Italian Publishers Association 
(AIE) 

National (Italy) 

Entrepreneurs' perception, 
awareness and views of IPR 
protection (2019) 

Latvian Patent Office  

National (Latvia) 

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Name of study/survey (year of 
release) 

Author 

Survey by the Ministry of Industry, 
Commerce and Tourism and the 
OEPM 

Ministry of Industry, 
Commerce and Tourism and 
the OEPM 

Coverage 

National  (Spain) 

Creative Content Australia 

National (Australia) 

Ernst & Young 

National (France) 

Asia Video Industry 
Association’s (AVIA) 
Coalition Against Piracy 
(CAP) 
La Coalicion 

National (Taiwan) 

National (Spain) 

Australian Government, 
Department of 
Communications and the 
Arts 
Digimarc Corporation 

National (Australia) 

National (US) 

Hadopi 

National (France) 

Australian Piracy Behaviour and 
Attitudes (2019) 

Le piratage en France [Piracy in 
France] (2018) 

Study of the online content 
viewing behaviour of Taiwanese 
consumers (2020) 

Piracy observatory and digital 
content consumption habits 2018 
(2019) 

Consumer survey on online 
copyright infringement 2019 
(2019) 

Inside the Mind of a Book Pirate 
(2018) 

Consommation de biens culturels 
dématérialisés en situation de 
confinement - Vague 2 
[Consumption of online cultural 
content in a situation of 
confinement - Wave 2] (2020) 

[PRV upphovsrättsundersökning 
2019 [PRV Copyright Survey 
2019] (2020) 

PRV 

National (Sweden) 

Entrepreneurs' perception, 
awareness and views of IPR 
protection (2019) 

Latvian Patent Office  

National (Latvia) 

Consumer Barometer (2020) 

KPMG & IFH Köln 

National (Germany) 

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