CISAC supports new study and joins calls for private copying remuneration in Bulgaria

CISAC has thrown its weight behind efforts by its member music society in Bulgaria, MUSICAUTOR, to introduce an effective private copying system in the country, creating a valuable new income stream for creators worth an estimated EUR 14 million in 2024.

A new study conducted by Alpha Research and commissioned by MUSICAUTOR, with the financial support of CISAC, reveals that over half of Bulgarians above the age of 12 engage in private copying of copyrighted content. 

While such copying — for private use only and from legal sources — is permitted under international and Bulgarian law, Bulgaria has for decades lacked a proper mechanism to compensate creators. The study estimates financial losses to rightsholders reaching EUR 14.3 million in the past year alone.

The primary tools for this practice are smartphones, laptops, and cloud services. These reflect evolving digital consumption of creative works that require a modern and fair legislative response by the Bulgarian authorities.

Unlike other EU countries, Bulgaria remains the only member state yet to fully implement a private copying mechanism—leaving authors, artists, and creators without compensation for the widespread reuse of their works, as confirmed by the study. 

In other European countries, creators receive remuneration for such acts of copying through a system of private copying levies that are imposed on the manufacturers and importers of devices used for the copying.

The issue was discussed at a roundtable event on 14 May - “33 Years Later – The Big Conversation About Private Copying in Bulgaria,” organised by MUSICAUTOR.  Representatives from CISAC, GESAC, SAA, IFRRO, COPIE FRANCE, ARTISJUS, SOKOJ, and FILMAUTOR emphasized the critical importance of a functioning private copying framework in Bulgaria. The round table is part of a series of initiatives on the occasion of the CISAC General Assembly scheduled to take place on 28 May in Sofia, Bulgaria.

For more information, click here (article in Bulgarian).