HotTopics: The Global Copyright Pandemic: A First-Aid Kit For Publishers And Information Providers

Authors: Anthea Stratigos, Co-founder & CEO; David Curle, Director & Lead Analyst

This HotTopics examines the implications of fresh Outsell data showing the widespread copyright infringement pandemic that grows every day, and the fragmented and ineffective response of the information industry to date. Over 56 billion documents are forwarded around the planet each year by ordinary knowledge workers, and the tools for finding, copying, and sharing information have only multiplied in recent months. The HotTopics puts some hard data behind our perception of the problem's scope, and looks at some of the implications for both commercial content providers and aggregators. The bottom line is that the information industry has failed to draw clear and consistent boundaries around the information it produces, and the responses of content companies, industry associations, and enterprises have not changed user behaviors. Information companies are leaving money on the table, and are failing to provide information users with a clear sense of what is and is not an appropriate use of external content. This HotTopics concludes with essential actions for information providers, including better communicating their own policies and boundaries for their content, making restrictions and permissions more explicit, working with associations to develop a more widespread industry response, and applying technology to measure and track information use.