Tekijät

• Center for Cultural Policy Research
• Kautio, Tiina (Center for Cultural Policy Research)
• Oksanen-Särelä, Katja (Center for Cultural Policy Research)
• Kurlin Niiniaho, Ari (Center for Cultural Policy Research)

Asiasanat

Internet, creativity, intellectual property law, legislation, licences, works of art

Sisällön kuvaus

The survey charted Finnish views on the copyright system. Main themes included the respondents' knowledge of intellectual property law, legal use of copyrighted material, own creative activity and creative reuse of copyrighted material, illegal use of copyrighted material, and opinions on the copyright system. The questions were mainly posed in the context of the Internet. The study was conducted as part of the Center for Cultural Policy Research (Cupore) research project 'Assessment of the Finnish Copyright System'. The project is funded by a subsidy granted to Cupore by the Ministry of Education and Culture.

First, the survey charted the respondents' self-perceived knowledge of intellectual property law, whether the respondents thought information on copyright issues was sufficiently available to them, and from which sources they had received information on matters related to copyright (e.g. friends or colleagues, news media, school, training provided by workplace, Internet services on legal information). The respondents were asked about their legal use of copyrighted material, such as listening to music or watching movies or series on streaming services, downloading music or movies/TV series, listening to audiobooks or podcasts, or downloading digital games. They were also asked which of the previously mentioned online materials they had used at least once a week in the past month. Sharing of online content produced by others, such as photos, music or videos, was surveyed next, and the respondents were asked whether they had come across any content that they were not sure they were allowed to share and whether they had shared the content anyway.

Next, the respondents were asked about online copyrighted content that they had produced and shared themselves. The use of copyrighted material produced by others as part of their own content was examined, and the respondents were asked whether they had asked the original creator's permission to include their material, and if not, why they hadn't. Problems with attaining a permission to use copyrighted material and the use of the respondents' own copyrighted material by others were also charted. The respondents were asked whether they had knowingly used or shared online material that was illegally available in the past 12 months and if yes, why (e.g. the supply of legal content was insufficient, they were unwilling to pay for the material, illegally distributed material was easier to get and more quickly available).

Finally, the respondents' views on how easy it is to recognise copyrighted material on the Internet were surveyed. Reasons for using legally available over illegally available content were also examined (e.g. because the respondents thought that the law should be followed or that the legally available content was of better quality). The respondents' opinions on various statements concerning the copyright system were charted, for example, whether they thought that creators should receive compensation when their content is used, that the copyright system is too restrictive, and that intellectual property law is unnecessary.

Background variables included the respondent's gender, age, mother tongue, occupation, household composition, type of accommodation, number and ages of children aged under 18 in the household, household size, level of education, income, and regional variables such as NUTS3 region of residence, number of inhabitants in municipality of residence, and statistical grouping of municipalities.