Summary

Cultural industry as a manifold social phenomenon has a significant role to play in the economic life today. Studies conducted in several Western countries regarding the economic importance of copyright show that the contribution of cultural industry to the GNP may amount to 2.1–7.75%. Copyright norms are to a lesser or greater extent taken as the basis in the economic activity of cultural industry. Thus, the regulation of the rights of authors has an important role in the development of the cultural or copyright industry. Cultural industry may, in turn, affect the protection of authors' rights.

Therefore, in establishing copyright norms, the legal and economic nuances related to the copyright industry should also be taken into account in addition to the protection of authors' rights. The article examines the complex nature of cultural industry and outlines the results of research conducted in Western countries with respect to determining the economic importance of copyright. The author analyses whether and why such research should also be carried out in Estonia.