Private Copying Global Study 2026
New Private Copying Global Study highlights the continued importance of private copying remuneration for creators worldwide
March 25, 2026 | Private copying remuneration remains an important source of income for creators worldwide, even as digital technologies reshape how people access and store creative works. This is one of the key findings of the Private Copying Global Study 2026, published today by the International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers (CISAC), in partnership with BIEM (the international organisation representing mechanical rights societies), the International Federation of Reproduction Rights Organisations (IFRRO), and the Dutch private copying organisation Stichting de Thuiskopie.
First published in 2017 and 2020, the 2026 edition of the Private Copying Global Study provides the most comprehensive analysis to date of private copying laws and remuneration frameworks worldwide, examining legal provisions, collection and distribution mechanisms, levy rates and revenues derived from private copying across 196 countries and five global regions. This year’s edition includes reprographic rights for the first time, which covers the reproduction of text and images.
Report takeaways
Private copying remuneration compensates creators when individuals make personal copies of music, films, text, images and other creative works on everyday digital devices such as smartphones, computers and storage media.
The report confirms that private copying remains an important and reliable source of income for creators worldwide. Despite rapid changes in digital technology and evolving consumer behaviour in accessing and storing content, private copying schemes remain valid, and revenues have been broadly stable for nearly two decades.
The study shows that private copying remuneration generated €1.06 billion for creators worldwide in 2024 while costing each consumer only a few euros per year. Even as device prices and wider cost of living pressures increase, private copying remuneration represents only a tiny part of the selling price and a minimal share of annual household expenditure, often less than the price of a cup of coffee per year.
Digital technologies are reshaping private copying
Since the previous global studies on private copying were published (in 2017 and 2020), consumer behaviour has changed dramatically. Smartphones, cloud storage and connected devices now dominate as technologies used for personal copying and need to be included in modern private copying frameworks. The study highlights key court cases and examples of up-to-date systems, while also demonstrating the significant potential for improving private copying remuneration mechanisms and ensure that creators are fairly compensated when their works are copied for personal use, independent of technology used.
The study also highlights important regional differences. Europe continues to account for the vast majority of private copying revenues, with well-established remuneration mechanisms in many countries. At the same time, significant opportunities remain in other global regions where private copying exceptions exist in copyright law, but remuneration mechanisms are incomplete or not yet implemented.
In Africa, recent regional initiatives such as the UEMOA Directive on private copying remuneration and the collaborative ARIPO regional strategy signal growing policy momentum to strengthen remuneration for creators.
Supporting creators and cultural ecosystems
Beyond direct payments to rightsholders, private copying remuneration also supports broader cultural ecosystems. In more than 20 countries, a portion of private copying revenues is reinvested in cultural and social initiatives, including artist pensions, creative education programmes and cultural projects.
“Private copying remuneration remains one of the most practical and balanced ways to ensure creators are compensated when their works are copied for personal use. As technologies evolve, legal frameworks must evolve too. This study highlights both the continued value of private copying remuneration and the opportunity for countries to update their frameworks to reflect the digital environment.”
Caroline Champarnaud praises the good collaboration between three major international organisations and the Dutch private-copying society in preparing this report as a tool to defend creators' revenues. “It is vital to draw on international experience and offer insights into the strengths and challenges of implementing effective private copying systems for the benefit of creators, particularly when the impact on consumers appears minimal.”
“This Study demonstrates the important role that private copying and reprography remuneration systems play in supporting a broad creative ecosystem, including the text and image sector. These systems ensure that authors, visual creators, journalists, and publishers, from books and academic journals to newspapers and magazines, receive fair compensation when their works are reproduced for private and personal uses. IFRRO welcomes this more inclusive picture of how private copying remuneration supports a diverse community of authors and rightsholders across the global text and image sector.”
“Without fair compensation, creativity fades. Private copying systems safeguard the livelihood of creators, while respecting the privacy of consumers when they copy protected works on their devices.”
