Copyright risk management: survey findings

Via a news release from the Copyright Clearance Center (CCC) comes the result of a just-released, two-phase FreePint survey of information managers and end-users from companies and countries around the world on copyright needs, behaviour and attitudes. According to this survey, 40% of information managers reported in Phase 1 of the survey that copyright risk management is more important in their organizations than it was a year ago, while none felt that copyright was less important. Why should this be so? Reasons given by the respondents included the following:

• The need to train new staff concerning the company’s risk management policies [nb 'risk management' can mean taking more as well as fewer risks, if the odds don't favour detection and liability, eg regarding some species of orphan works];
• Proliferation of new types of content, particularly digital content;
• Increase of contracting work out to third parties, necessitating the creation of copyright policies both for the company’s own works and for use of others [outsourcing has indeed generated a fresh market for copyright consultancy services, judging by the increased amount of space given to copyright and other IP issues in current outsourcing literature];
• Growing cost of content itself, requiring more attention to managing the risks associated with acquiring and using that content;
• Some countries’ introduction of new laws and regulations applicable to copyright.

The Phase 2 response group of content end users reported similar levels of concern regarding copyright, with 36% deeming copyright more important than a year ago, a further 63% as important as a year ago and less than 1% less important than a year ago.

The FreePint Report, Copyright Policies and Practices can be purchased here, or you can ask for a free summary of high-level results by completing this form.