The report, published on Thursday by the EU Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) and obtained exclusively by Polish daily Rzeczpospolita, indicates that residents across the EU are extensively accessing unauthorized online content. The average European engages with illegal content ten times per month, with television programming accounting for half of this consumption. The primary driver behind this trend is the high consumer demand for low-cost content.
Poland below the EU average
Only six countries in Europe fall below this concerning average, with Poland being one of them. "In the 2023 ranking, Poland performed very well, as it did the year before," said Nathan Wajsman, EUIPO's chief economist. "The main piracy indicator in Poland is about eight illegal accesses per internet user per month, which is clearly below the EU average of 10.2. Lower levels of piracy are observed only in Romania, Germany, and Italy."
Dawid Krzysiak, managing partner at consultancy firm Kearney, added, "Poland positively stands out not only compared to Europe but also globally." However, he warned that this favorable position could change rapidly. "Several factors influence our position in such rankings: access to legal content, the abundance of sources, and local platforms mean there's no need to look for alternatives," Krzysiak explained.
Ineffective measures against e-piracy
The EUIPO report highlights the vast scale of illegal streaming across the continent and notes that law enforcement actions against e-pirates have been largely ineffective. "The scale of the phenomenon is enormous, and police actions aimed at e-pirates are not effective," the report states.
Despite Poland's current standing, forecasts are not optimistic. The ease of accessing illegal content and potential shifts in consumer behavior could lead to an increase in digital piracy. Krzysiak emphasized that while Poland's situation is currently favorable, it could deteriorate if measures are not taken to maintain low levels of piracy.
(jh)
Source: Rzeczpospolita