The effects of (private, small-scale) piracy on the pricing behavior of producers of information goods are studied within a unified model of vertical differentiation. Although information goods are assumed to be perfectly differentiated, demands are interdependent because the copying technology exhibits increasing returns to scale. We characterize the Bertrand-Nash equilibria in a duopoly. Comparing equilibrium prices to the prices set by a multiproduct monopolist, we show that competitiondrives prices up and may lead to price dispersion. Competition reduces total surplus in the short run but provides higher incentives to create in the long run.
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Paper provided by Université catholique de Louvain, Center for Operations Research and Econometrics (CORE) in its series CORE Discussion Papers with number
2005083.
Find related papers by JEL classification: L13 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Oligopoly and Other Imperfect Markets L82 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Services - - - Entertainment; Media L86 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Services - - - Information and Internet Services; Computer Software K11 - Law and Economics - - Basic Areas of Law - - - Property Law O34 - Economic Development, Technological Change, and Growth - - Technological Change - - - Intellectual Property Rights
References listed on IDEAS Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
BELLEFLAMME, Paul & PICARD, Pierre M., 2004.
"Competition over piratable goods,"
CORE Discussion Papers
2004055, Université catholique de Louvain, Center for Operations Research and Econometrics (CORE).
[Downloadable!]
Varian, Hal R, 1980.
"A Model of Sales,"
American Economic Review,
American Economic Association, vol. 70(4), pages 651-59, September.
[Downloadable!] (restricted)
Cited by: (explanations, Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.)
Francisco Martinez, 2008.
"Learning by Copying,"
ThE Papers
08/05, Department of Economic Theory and Economic History of the University of Granada..
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