Non-market information goods circulation and the copying culture in the Internet era

Abstract

Motivation: This paper deals with a relation between a phenomenon called a ‘copying culture’ and situation of information goods markets. Subject-matter was limited to phenomena taking place in the Internet and market & non-market exchange taking place via the Internet. Results: The copying culture is a significant social aspect which is reflected by activity of, among others, Internet users. Range of the phenomenon in question makes it cannot be ignored, especially, in context of economic efficiency that is profits from copyrights to works in form of information goods. The paper demonstrates a hypothesis that unauthorized copying via the Internet is a result of high level social consent to do so. The hypothesis in question results from observance of range of non-market information goods circulation, which is linked with impact of the copying culture. Aim: Goal of the paper is provision of evidences justifying the hypothesis by means of analysis of retrospective practice of information goods copying as well as case studies dealing with contemporary examples of their non-market circulation.