What we know, what we don’t know and what policy-makers would like us to know about the economics of copyright

Abstract

Governments the world over are looking for evidence on the economic effects of copyright law, the more so since the increased emphasis in government growth policy on the role of the creative industries has led to the justification of copyright as a stimulus to the economy. This article summarises the current economic evidence relevant for copyright policy and discusses why it falls short of what is wanted