Creative Economy Data Program

Creativity is a fundamental human capacity for invention and expression, and a crucial driver for sustainable economic growth. As a result, countries around the world are working to gather empirical evidence that uncovers the systemic elements and components relevant to fostering their creative ecosystem. WIPO proposes to assist in this effort by introducing the Creative Ecosystem Diagnostic Model (CEDM), a comprehensive diagnostic tool designed to evaluate the creative ecosystem of Member States by considering a wide range of indicators. These indicators broadly include the institutional environment in which creative output is produced, the resources required for creative production, and the creative outputs that demonstrate the sector’s impact on the economy.
The novelty of this tool lies in its holistic approach, which not only considers economic aspects but also integrates social and cultural dimensions relevant to the creative economy. A key emphasis is placed on intellectual property, which drives the transition from ideas to outputs and serves as a key horizontal element in the diagnostic model. Copyright, a major driver for cultural diversity, will be assessed accordingly within the model. Moreover, the tool focuses on social cohesion as a key enabler that unites diverse groups and ideas, fostering a community environment where creativity can thrive. Additionally, it captures the digital transformation of the creative sector by investigating digital adaptation, resources, and the extent of creative production within the platform economy.

CEDM in practice

The Creative Ecosystem Diagnostic Model (CEDM), developed by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), provides a systemic framework for analyzing national creative ecosystems. Traditional studies of the creative economy have largely focused on outputs such as GDP contribution, employment, or exports. While valuable, these indicators provide only a partial view of the creative economy, as they describe results without explaining the structural conditions that produce them. The CEDM therefore adopts a broader ecosystem perspective, examining the institutional environment and resource conditions that interact dynamically to enable creativity to flourish as an engine of economic and social development.
At the center of the model lies a simple principle: while creative ecosystems are ultimately driven by human creativity, their success depends on the broader systemic conditions that enable creators to transform ideas into value. Creators generate the cultural and creative assets that power the system: music, audiovisual works, design, crafts, digital media, performances, and many other forms of creative expression. Yet creators do not operate in isolation; they function within networks of institutions, infrastructure, markets, and social norms that shape their ability to innovate, collaborate, and thrive. Understanding these surrounding conditions is therefore essential for designing effective policies that strengthen the creative economy.
Rather than analyzing individual creative sectors in isolation, the CEDM approaches the creative economy as an interconnected ecosystem, one in which most institutional frameworks are common or closely related. It recognizes that creative outcomes emerge not from isolated variables, but from the interaction of multiple enabling conditions working together in an enabling environment. By examining these interdependencies, the model helps identify structural strengths, information gaps, and systemic bottlenecks that may otherwise remain invisible in traditional output-based assessments.

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The Creative Ecosystem of the Philippines

PUBLICATION YEAR: 2026

The economic performance of copyright industries

Industries that make use of copyright and related rights protection are often referred to as the copyright-based or the creative industries. They generate direct and indirect contributions to economic performance and development and are considered of growing importance for the achievement of important national economic and social objectives.
WIPO has undertaken activities to support countries in the collection of evidence on the economic performance of the copyright industries and on establishing the impact that copyright has had on them. While a number of projects seek to develop methodological advice and guidance to Member States and stakeholders in undertaking studies, others are providing assistance in training, policy development and research in the economics of copyright.

Measuring the size of copyright industries

WIPO has undertaken activities to support countries in the collection of evidence on the economic performance of the copyright industries and on establishing the impact that copyright has had on them. While a number of projects seek to develop methodological advice and guidance to Member States and stakeholders in undertaking studies, others are providing assistance in training, policy development and research in the economics of copyright.
  • summarizes existing experience in surveying creative industries, which operate on the basis of copyright and related rights protection;
  • presents a practical instrument in the form of guidelines, recommendations and survey methods to be considered and applied when undertaking surveys on the economic contribution of a nation's creative industries; and
  • establishes a basis for comparison of future surveys built on reliable data and common methodologies.

Results of national studies

Prepared by local researchers with the assistance of WIPO experts, under the responsibility and copyright of the national authority.
  • 2021 Overview of the results from WIPO studies [PDF]
  • 2015 Summary of findings in WIPO studies [PDF]

Copyright performance studies

WIPO provides assistance to its Member States in identifying the specific role that copyright and related rights have played in the performance of selected copyright industries. The following studies have resulted from this assistance:

International surveys on text and image copyright levies

The ‘International Survey of Text and Image Copyright Levies’ series, jointly published by WIPO and IFRRO analyzes the origins, scope and current use of text and image copyright levies around the world. It shows the role of this mechanism for ensuring easy legal access to copyright material and its major differences with audio and audio-visual private copying levies. The survey is based on data from IFRRO members and provides and overview of this important income stream for copyright holders.

International Surveys on Copyright Levies

These surveys provide a global view of private copying compensation (also known as private copying levies), an important element of the copyright and related rights infrastructure. They aim to facilitate evidence-based decision-making and to provide an update on important developments in the private copying law and practice of countries that have such an exception in their legal arsenals.