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Young People In Malta Record Highest Rate Of Pirated Content Use Across EU

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43% of Maltese youths have accessed pirated content in the past year – the highest percentage in the EU.

The numbers came from a survey launched by the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) investigating both piracy and counterfeiting. They considered only youths aged 15 to 24 years.

But what were Maltese youths getting through illegal sources? For the most part films (64%) and television shows (51%). But these were followed by e-books, software, video games, live sports, and music.

Indeed, the main factors behind accessing pirated content in general mostly boiled down to price. But availability, as well as peer and social influence, also played a role.

Piracy is the act of illegally copying protected content that infringes on the owner’s copyright, and can be anywhere from making illegal copies of music to streaming without permission.

It is a somewhat nuanced subject, with many who dabble in pirating arguing that the act is simply one of making a digital copy. That as long as the original remains, there’s no harm, no foul.

The maker of the original, however, would disagree. Because owing to the unauthorised copy, the first one has lost its potential worth. This, done on a massive scale can cause harm to the owner and hamper motivation to create more content.

With expenses of legitimate sources of streaming being substantially higher than those reeled in from illegal sources, however, there is little question that the motivation to access such content will forever remain.

Do you think piracy should be better regulated?

READ NEXT: Amid Rising Costs Of Living, 140,723 Employees In Malta Received Less Than Median Wage In 2021

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