A One-page PDF on the research can be accessed here
Washington – A new study by the Computer & Communications Industry Association Research Center finds fair use supports a broad range of industries, driving substantial revenue, employing millions, and accounting for nearly one-fifth of U.S. GDP. Its benefits are widespread, especially as internet-enabled services have become integral to business growth, delivering significant consumer value and positioning the U.S. to harness transformative technologies like generative AI across multiple sectors such as e-commerce, data processing, hosting, and related services. This study is the latest in a long-running series from CCIA.
Key findings from the study:
- Revenue – The revenues generated by fair use industries expanded by $3.2 trillion, or 6.6 percent annually, from 2017 to 2023, reaching $10.2 trillion in 2023.
- Value Added – In 2023, value added by fair use industries was $4.9 trillion, approximately 18 percent of total U.S. current dollar GDP.
- Employment – Employment in industries benefiting from fair use and related limitations and exceptions reached 22 million workers by 2023, adding 2.5 million workers since 2017.
- Payrolls – Further illustrating the rapid growth of fair use industries, total payrolls expanded rapidly, rising from $1.7 trillion in 2017 to $2.5 trillion during 2023, an increase of 46 percent.
- Productivity – Productivity, the amount of goods and services that can be produced with a given number of inputs, is the foundation for rising living standards. From 2017 to 2023, the labor productivity of U.S. fair use industries increased by 3.7 percent annually to approximately $220,000 per worker.
- Exports – Exports of goods and services related to fair use industries increased by 33 percent from $397 billion in 2017 to $530 billion in 2023 driven by increases in service-sector exports. The U.S. economy benefits from a substantial trade surplus attributable to fair use services industries such as computer and information services, financial services, business and management consulting services, and public relations services.
The following quote may be attributed to Trevor Wagener, CCIA’s Chief Economist and Director of the CCIA Research Center:
“New research confirms that fair use is not just a legal concept, but a massive structural pillar of the American economy. With fair use industries now employing one in seven U.S. workers and generating nearly one-fifth of GDP, it is clear that the flexibility provided by our copyright system is a primary driver of national prosperity, global competitiveness, and U.S. leadership in AI.”
