Piracy of digital products: A critical review of the theoretical literature

Publication Type  Journal Article
Year of Publication  2006
Authors  Peitz, M.; Waelbroeck, P.
Journal Title  Information Economics and Policy
Volume  18
Pagination  449-476
ISBN Number  0167-6245
Accession Number  ISI:000241480200006
Key Words  Information good; Piracy; Copyright; IP protection; Internet; Peer-to-peer; Software; Music
Abstract  

Digital products can be copied at almost no cost and are subject to non-commercial copying by final consumers. Because the copy of a copy typically does not deteriorate in quality, copies can become available on a large scale basis - this can be illustrated by the surge of file-sharing networks. In this paper we provide a critical overview of the theoretical literature that addresses the economic consequences of end-user copying. We analyze basic models of piracy, models with indirect appropriation, models with network effects, and models with asymmetric information. We discuss the applicability of the different modeling strategies to a number of industries such as software, video and computer games, music, and movies.

URL  http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/B6V8J-4KWK0VK-1/2/29dd929f136a00e9c5cfefba1858d21c
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