The need to raise awareness of copyright compliance and AI tools is more important than ever to avoid risks like copyright infringement, according to a new study published by Copyright Clearance Center.
The Copyrighted Content Usage Trends Report, published in conjunction with Outsell, analyses insights from executive-level respondents – revealing that while AI adoption has reached as high as 97% in some industries, just 77% of respondents know their organisation’s copyright policy, and only 62% realise it applies to AI when using third-party data.
The companies say the data also shows a gradual shift away from traditional communication channels, with preference for collaboration tools such as Teams, Slack, and Google rising from 33% in 2022 to 38% in 2024.
The report says that sharing third-party, published information, and using it with AI tools without obtaining necessary permissions carries enormous potential copyright risks – with a rising number of AI-related lawsuits this past year.
The latest content usage trends reaffirm the importance of having a solid copyright policy in place, taking steps to support employee education and communication about copyright, and deploying appropriate compliance solutions such as an Annual Copyright License to support a streamlined content workflow.
The report states: “Many companies are discussing their copyright policy more frequently with employees. This has resulted in heightened awareness of copyright considerations, yet employees of organisations of all types and sizes continue to report they’re sharing copyrighted content in ways that may put their organisations at risk. Ordinary content exchanges that come so naturally in the digital world may increase the risk of copyright infringement, leading to costly lawsuits or settlements, and they may also affect brand reputation.
“Responses to the survey indicate that executives have the highest level of copyright policy awareness compared to other job roles, but their actual behaviour is not always aligned with their companies’ policies, underscoring the elevated compliance risks associated with senior decision-makers.”
Read the full report at: https://www.copyright.com/resource-library/insights/outsell/