site.btaOne in Two Bulgarians Copy Copyrighted Audiovisual Works for Personal Use - Survey

Just over half (51% of 2.8 to 2.9 million) of all Bulgarians above 12 years old copy copyrighted audiovisual works for personal use, according to a survey conducted by Alpha Research in March 2025. The survey was commissioned by the association of authors of music, lyrics and arrangements Musicautor, funded by the International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers (CISAC), and released by Musicautor on Tuesday.

Music proves to be the most commonly copied format, followed by videos and films, photos and images, books and articles. People under 30 are more active in copying music and videos. The 30-65 age group prefers copying books, articles, and photos.

Copyright holders suffered financial losses estimated at approximately BGN 27.9 million in the last year. According to Musicautor, these figures underline the need to introduce an effective mechanism for private copying in Bulgaria to compensate authors and promote the sustainable development of the cultural sector. Private copying is a legal option that allows individuals to make copies of copyright-protected works for private use without the need for prior permission from the rights holders. This practice covers the copying of music, films, books, photographs and other creative works, provided that the copies are not used for commercial purposes and are not distributed to the public.

The survey suggests that attitudes related to the recording of audiovisual content for private use in Bulgaria do not differ significantly from the rest of Europe. The difference is that all EU Member States have developed a working mechanism to compensate authors for these practices that do not affect the end user. In France, for example, revenues from private copying royalties are used for investment in cultural events and as compensation for artists.

Bulgaria remains the only country in the European Union that has not fully implemented the private copying mechanism. The lack of a compensatory mechanism for copying content harms both Bulgarian and foreign creators, hindering the sustainable development of culture in Bulgaria, Musicautor said.

Musicautor and CISAC held a round table at Sofia's Vivacom Art Hall on Tuesday. The forum was titled "33 years later: The big conversation about private copying in Bulgaria".