On the basis of an international inquiry concerning databases, producers and royalties, a comparative study of the answers coming from Europe and from North America shows great differences between database characteristics, conditions of use and amounts of royalties. One of these differences concerns the actions of government and for‐profit organisations. The number of these organisations, their activity in subject, type and volume of information, their policies as to conditions of use and amount of royalties, explains the different levels and evolutions of the information industry in these different countries.