New Study Identifies 2020 Information Consumption and Copyright Awareness Trends
December 15, 2020 – Danvers, Mass. – Copyright Clearance Center, Inc. (CCC), a leader in advancing copyright, accelerating knowledge, and powering innovation, announces the results of a new “Information Seeking and Consumption Study” by Outsell, Inc., the voice of the data, information and analytics economy.
Outsell regularly conducts quantitative studies on behalf of CCC which provide cumulative insights about how copyrighted content is used and shared in the workplace. According to results from the 2020 study, 34% of respondents working remotely reported an increase in the frequency of sharing content during the pandemic. Of those, 63% in executive roles said they are sharing more often now, compared to 27% of middle managers and 22% of individual contributors. Nearly half of study respondents (47%) are either unaware of copyright policy or unsure of its details.
“Organizations around the world have made huge strides during this time to enable remote teams to collaborate more easily,” said Tracey Armstrong, President and CEO, CCC. “This study reaffirms the importance of a clear copyright policy and licensing to support a streamlined content workflow.”
“Outsell’s ongoing analysis of the market indicates this isn’t a problem that’s going away,” said Ned May, VP Analytic Operations, Outsell. “The pandemic triggered permanent changes to where and how knowledge workers engage with their work and organizations need to start solving for these new challenges now.”
CCC provides a wide range of resources to help organizations support the needs of information users at all levels of the company. The Annual Copyright License (ACL) is a trusted solution that complements publisher agreements and subscriptions by providing a consistent set of reuse rights across a broad repertory of titles which helps simplify copyright compliance and drives innovation. To support unique licensing needs around the globe, CCC offers the Multinational Copyright License, the VG WORT Digital Copyright License, and the CLA & CCC Joint Multinational Copyright License.
Methodology
Outsell designed the questionnaire with input and final approval from CCC. The final survey instrument required respondents to spend no more than 15 minutes to complete and contained no more than 20 screens of questions. Topics in the questionnaire covered the following areas: demographics; information-seeking behaviors; content access and consumption; copyright awareness; sharing habits and behaviors; and changes in behavior due to pandemic conditions. The study surveyed knowledge workers at companies with global headquarters in the following countries: United States, Japan, Germany, France, South Korea, United Kingdom, Denmark, Switzerland, The Netherlands, and India. The study focused on the following verticals: Chemicals and Plastics, Computers and Electronic Components, Consulting and Professional Services, Electric and Gas Utilities, Finance / Insurance, Law Firms, Leisure and Travel, Life Sciences (including Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology, Medical Devices, and Scientific Equipment), Oil and Gas Extraction (Exploration, Drilling, Production, and Refining), Transportation and Automotive, Wholesale / Retail.