Platforms are part of the enforcement architecture. Without proactive monitoring and takedown from hosting platforms, piracy will persist, even flourish.

Online Copyright Infringement (OCI) 2024 – Published 20 June 2025 – Analysis, Lessons, and Sector-Specific Recommendations

by ChatGPT-4o

The 2024 edition of the UK Intellectual Property Office’s (IPO) Online Copyright Infringement (OCI) report, published in June 2025, offers a sobering yet nuanced portrait of digital content consumption and infringement. Now in its 13th wave, the research covers a range of media—from music and film to software, live sport, e-books, audiobooks, and digital magazines—through quantitative and qualitative analyses. This essay explores the key findings, surprises, and sector-specific insights from the data, while also concluding with lessons and actionable recommendations.

I. General Trends and Key Findings

1. Stability in Overall Infringement, but Sectoral Variations

The overall infringement rate decreased slightly from 32% in 2022 to 29% in 2024. However, the apparent stability masks divergent trajectories:

• Audiobook infringement increased significantly, from 22% to 30%.

• Software infringement decreased, from 38% to 31%.

• Live sport and digital magazines remain high in infringement levels.

• Music, film, TV, and e-books showed relative stability.

2. Demographic Patterns

• Infringers are more likely to be male and under 35.

• High passion for a content category correlates with higher infringement levels.

• Younger users (12–34) dominate both legal and illegal access across categories.

3. Cybersecurity Risks

47% of all respondents experienced a cybersecurity incident in the past year, but this rose significantly among infringers. While not necessarily causal, the correlation is strong and persistent, especially in music and software.

4. Financial Motivation and Perception of Fairness

Qualitative data reveals economic hardship, rising subscription costs, and perceived unfairness as key drivers for infringement. Many users still rely on a mix of legal and illegal sources, particularly when legal options seem too costly or incomplete.

II. Sector-Specific Analysis

A. Music

• Infringement Rate: 26% (marginal rise)

• Top Illegal Method: YouTube download converters (30%)

• Key Insight: 27% of users accessed music illegally, mostly supplementing legal subscriptions.

• Cybersecurity Link: 58% of music infringers faced a cyber incident.

Recommendation:

• Industry: Offer flexible, cheaper plans for casual users and curate exclusive content that is harder to pirate.

• Policy: Emphasize cybersecurity risks in education campaigns.

• Platforms: Increase takedowns of popular converter tools and deploy audio fingerprinting at scale.

B. Film

• Infringement Rate: 27% (up from 24%)

• Top Illegal Method: Download via YouTube converters.

• Qualitative Findings: Cost of subscriptions and cinema tickets drive infringement; evenings are peak consumption times.

Recommendation:

• Industry: Explore lower-cost ad-supported tiers and timed promotions during peak viewing hours.

• Policy: Emphasize collective licensing models for platforms bundling legal access.

• Platforms: Boost collaborative enforcement of illegal streaming and downloading plugins.

C. TV Programmes

• Infringement Rate: Stable at 19%

• Top Legal Access: Paid subscriptions dominate (75%)

• Top Illegal Access: IPTV providers (7%)

Recommendation:

• Industry: Continue bundling and improving user experience; encourage catch-up TV via legal platforms.

• Policy: Clarify the legality of grey-zone devices like Kodi boxes in consumer-facing campaigns.

• Platforms: Improve tracking and flagging of IPTV and “mirror” sites.

D. Live Sport

• Infringement Rate: Highest at 38%

• Shift: Legal subscriptions dropped by 8 percentage points.

• Top Illegal Method: Paid IPTV (12%)

Recommendation:

• Industry: Reintroduce tiered pricing or pay-per-view for select matches to combat subscription fatigue.

• Policy: Target repeat infringers with ISP-level interventions.

• Platforms: Increase watermarking and real-time takedown capabilities for live content.

E. Software

• Infringement Rate: Down to 31% from 38%

• Top Illegal Method: BitTorrent (9%)

• Top Legal Method: Direct from developer (49%)

Recommendation:

• Industry: Promote open-source alternatives or freemium models.

• Policy: Expand security awareness efforts linking pirated software with malware exposure.

• Platforms: Monitor and limit distribution via torrent trackers and forums.

F. Video Games

• Infringement Rate: Flat at 17%

• Top Legal Method: App stores and gaming platforms (51%)

• Top Illegal Practice: Account resale for wider content access.

Recommendation:

• Industry: Improve enforcement against account resellers and offer more dynamic content bundles.

• Policy: Work with gaming platforms on better digital rights management (DRM).

• Platforms: Block third-party sites offering modified or cracked content.

G. E-books

• Infringement Rate: Slight drop to 22%

• Top Illegal Method: Peer-to-peer file sharing and links from acquaintances.

• Legal Use: 57% pay per download.

Recommendation:

• Industry: Explore lending models, subscription access (akin to Netflix or Spotify for books), and better discoverability tools.

• Policy: Fund visibility campaigns explaining the value chain of books.

• Platforms: Track suspicious bulk uploads or mass-shared links in forums and social media.

H. Audiobooks

• Infringement Rate: Sharp rise to 30%

• Top Legal Use: Subscription platforms (40%)

• Top Illegal Method: Free streaming from YouTube (11%)

Recommendation:

• Industry: Reduce price gaps between audiobooks and e-books; bundle with digital/physical book purchases.

• Policy: Prioritize educational campaigns that distinguish between YouTube’s licensed and unlicensed audiobook content.

• Platforms: Enhance content ID for spoken-word formats and prioritize author-driven monetization.

I. Digital Magazines

• Infringement Rate: Still high at 39%

• Top Legal Method: Publisher subscriptions (36%)

• Top Illegal Access: Free pirate-hosting sites (20%)

Recommendation:

• Industry: Consider freemium content strategies or bundling digital magazines with other subscriptions.

• Policy: Modernize copyright messaging—make clear the value and harm of stealing journalism.

• Platforms: Deploy AI models to detect repeated illegal magazine uploads (PDFs/images).

III. Lessons Learned

1. Affordability and access trump enforcement. Many infringers turn to piracy not due to ideology but affordability. Multiple subscriptions across media types are unmanageable for many consumers.

2. Perceived legitimacy and ambiguity persist. Kodi boxes, YouTube converters, and IPTV blur the lines between legal and illegal, suggesting a persistent education gap.

3. Cybersecurity is a leverage point. Campaigns that linked infringement to personal risk (identity theft, hacking) resonated far more than those focused on moral appeals or economic harm.

4. Passion drives piracy. Counterintuitively, the most engaged fans are also the most likely to infringe. The key is not to alienate them but to convert their loyalty into legal engagement.

5. Platforms are part of the enforcement architecture. Without proactive monitoring and takedown from hosting platforms, piracy will persist, even flourish.

Conclusion

The OCI 2024 study reflects both progress and persistent challenges. While overall infringement is down, rising misuse in categories like audiobooks, software, and live sports calls for targeted interventions. Sustainable solutions must blend access, education, and enforcement—aligned across industry, regulators, and platforms. Most importantly, future strategies must recognize the complex motivations behind infringement, especially among younger, passionate audiences seeking affordable, complete, and seamless content experiences.