Kopiosto’s objectives for the 2027–2031 government term

What is the problem?

In recent years, the creative sector has been shaken up by the rise of artificial intelligence. Artificial intelligence has been trained in using cultural and current affairs content without permission, and creative professionals have not received appropriate compensation for this use. Furthermore, some uses of artificial intelligence are such that they require a legally certain and comprehensive copyright licence.

Why does the issue need to be fixed?

Modern copyright legislation, combined with effective enforcement measures, creates a clearly defined operating environment that supports opportunities for innovation and growth, even in the age of artificial intelligence. Up-to-date copyright legislation makes it possible for people in the creative sector to earn a living, set up businesses, expand internationally and succeed. Clear rules and effective licensing arrangements are also in the interests of companies that use copyright-protected content, as they can then operate responsibly without the fear of infringing upon any rights.

Our proposed solutions for the 2027–2031 government term:

1. The comprehensive and flexible licensing system provided for in the Copyright Act – namely, the extended collective licence – should be updated to cover the use of literary and visual works in the development of artificial intelligence.
2. The Copyright Act should be amended to grant copyright organisations the authority to effectively enforce the rights of the creative professionals they represent.
3. The maximum penalty for intellectual property offences should be raised to the Nordic level of six years. The change could be implemented in the same way as in Sweden, by introducing an aggravated form of the offence of copyright infringement.
4. Special protection should be provided for a person’s identifiable characteristics, giving individuals protection and the means to take action against the unauthorised use of their image, voice and likeness in the context of deepfakes, for example. The aim is to ensure that the use of a person’s voice, image and likeness is based on their consent.

What is the problem?

Copyright compensations paid by the state are often not index-linked, which means that pressure to increase them builds up over the years. At the same time, technological advances are making it possible to use works in an increasing number of ways. Copyright royalties must also be paid for new forms of use, such as digitising works for online publication or copying them into an AI prompt.

Why does the issue need to be fixed?

Cultural experiences that delight, move and educate us do not come out of nowhere. Behind them there are always creative professionals – authors, publishers, screenwriters, directors, photographers or illustrators. As creative professionals earn their living from a variety of sources, it is important to ensure that appropriate remuneration is provided for all forms of use. As long as creative work can be a source of income, new culture will continue to emerge.

Our proposed solutions for the 2027–2031 government term:

1. Increasing the appropriations of the Finnish National Agency for Education’s copyright-based licenses to an appropriate level of €22.2 million from the current €16.7 million – taking into account both inflation and the widespread copying of works for artificial intelligence applications.
2. Securing sufficient funding for cultural heritage institutions, including for copyright royalties, when promoting digital availability by making digitised materials available online, for example.
3. Increasing the statutory public lending remuneration and the remuneration for the use of digital materials, taking into account the rise in lending volumes and the fact that current levels have fallen behind the index. The aim is to achieve a 20% increase, in line with inflation.
4. The amount of the compensation for private copying should be raised to the reasonable level of €14–15 million, as estimated by Judge of the Court of Appeal Harenko in his report, from the current €5.5 million. This will ensure that, in addition to the creators of musical and audiovisual works, the creators and publishers of visual and literary works also receive remuneration.

What is the problem?

The current private copying levy, which is funded from the state budget, is contrary to EU law and the relevant directive. This was noted in the analysis commissioned by the Ministry of Education and Culture and published in February 2025, in which Judge of the Court of Appeal Harenko examined the development of the compensation system. Furthermore, in Finland, only authors and rights holders of music and audiovisual content are eligible for compensation, even though the public has a legal right to also copy other types of works, such as books, sheet music and images, for private use.

Why does the issue need to be fixed?

The levy is not a discretionary cultural grant, but rather a compensation, based on legislation and an EU directive, for the harm caused by private copying and recording. If legislative changes are not introduced promptly, the European Commission may be forced to intervene in the legal situation in Finland, which is currently in breach of EU law and the directive. If the private compensation for private copying is switched to a storage device-based compensation, €5.5 million will be released from the state budget annually in the next government term.

Our proposed solutions for the 2027–2031 government term:

1. Changing the private copying compensation system provided for in the Copyright Act to a storage device-based compensation scheme and to comply with the EU directive, in line with the analysis of Judge of the Court of Appeal Harenko.
2. At the same time, amending the system to cover not only musical and audiovisual works but also literary and visual works, all of which may be copied for private use in Finland.

What is the problem?

In recent years, product development and content creation in the creative sector have become more efficient thanks to artificial intelligence and other technological opportunities. With the creative sector undergoing a period of transition, the importance of early-stage support has become even more pronounced. At the same time, there is no continuity in the support structures, as they are under threat of cuts year after year.

The future of the film industry is also threatened by a difficult market situation and cost-cutting pressures within the sector. Most of our peer countries have national film development programmes, but Finland lacks such a scheme.

Why does the issue need to be fixed?

In the Growth Strategy for the Creative Industry published in 2025, the DigiDemo and CreaDemo grants awarded through AVEK, which operates under Kopiosto, along with the associated advisory services, were identified as one of the practical measures to ensure the growth of the creative economy. With demo support, companies can get their product development off the ground and showcase demos to potential private investors, for example.

Since it is only Finns who tell Finnish stories, we must ensure that there will continue to be Finnish filmmakers. AVEK’s Kehittämö programme produces Finnish filmmakers of the future. The development programme mentors the most talented filmmakers of their generation and shapes the beginnings of new, high-quality films.

Our proposed solutions for the 2027–2031 government term:

1. Establishing the demo programmes of AVEK, which operates under Kopiosto, and securing their funding. Allocating €1,350,000 from the state budget as annual funding for DigiDemo and CreaDemo.
2. Securing the future of domestic audiovisual content through AVEK’s Kehittämö programme, to which €500,000 in annual funding should be allocated.

What is the problem?

Funding for culture from the Ministry of Education and Culture currently accounts for only 0.8% of the total national budget of Finland. This is significantly lower than in other Nordic countries, in which the corresponding share of the culture budget averages over one per cent. The creative sector has great potential, but development and growth is not possible if the core funding is constantly being cut.

Why does the issue need to be fixed?

Finnish culture deserves the same opportunities for success as are afforded to the national culture in our neighbouring countries. Domestic cultural content can only be produced if there is investment in funding for the creative sector. Investing in the creative sector is often financially rewarding as well: for example, public funding channelled into film production generates more than double the amount of investment from the commercial sector and is returned in full to the state through taxation, for example.

During the 2027–2031 government term, cultural funding from the Ministry of Education and Culture must be increased to one per cent of the state budget.