2025 European Publishing Security Report

I. Sample Composition

A detailed breakdown of the 500 European publishers analyzed in this study, revealing the structure of today's market.

Active Publishers

68.4% of total

Self-Publishing Platforms

10.6% of total

Historical / Archival

10.6% of total

Alliances & Other

10.4% of total

Key Insight: Active commercial publishers dominate the market, driving the majority of digital publishing activity and innovation.

II. Global Market Reach

European publishers have a vast international footprint. This chart shows the primary destinations for their digital exports.

North America58%

Latin America21%

Asia12%

Africa9%

Key Insight: The majority of digital exports target North and Latin America, creating complex cross-border regulatory and rights management challenges.

III. Business Models & Growth Drivers

Each publisher type faces unique challenges. Effective digital security unlocks specific growth opportunities for every model.

Literary / Cultural

Protect translations, safeguard rare editions, and ensure author IP integrity.

Commercial Generalist

Expand multi-channel distribution securely and prevent unauthorized sharing.

Self-Publishing

Automate royalty tracking, prevent piracy, and offer value-added security.

Academic Publishing

Enable institutional licensing, control access, and protect research integrity.

Multimedia / Comics

Apply scalable protection for high-value visual formats and complex bundles.

Historical / Archival

Securely digitize cultural heritage collections for preservation and controlled access.

IV. The Digital Protection Gap

Despite the risks, a significant portion of the market operates without adequate digital protection, representing both a major vulnerability and a market opportunity.

68%UNPROTECTED

Current Adoption Levels

68% lack effective digital protection.
32% use active digital protection.

Breakdown Among Adopters

58% rely on third-party SaaS solutions.
42% use proprietary in-house systems.

Key Insight: The unprotected majority represents a significant financial and legal risk for the industry, but also a clear opportunity for scalable security providers.

V. Digital Security as a Growth Accelerator

Moving beyond defense, robust digital protection is a strategic tool that drives revenue, efficiency, and market expansion.

Revenue Growth

Securely sign more licensing deals with global partners and explore new monetization models without fear of piracy.

Risk Reduction

Minimize legal disputes, protect intellectual property, and reduce financial losses from unauthorized distribution.

Operational Efficiency

Streamline digital distribution, automate rights management, and simplify monetization across multiple channels.

Market Expansion

Gain the confidence to enter new regions, knowing your content complies with local regulations and is protected globally.

Ready to Secure Your Assets?

Discuss these findings with our team and learn how ApplicaDigital can protect your content and accelerate your growth.