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An empirical study of ownership of digital content

Author

Listed:
  • Simon Lee
  • Abdou Illia
  • Assion Lawson-Body

Abstract

While physical items were historically the main focus of possession, in today's knowledge and information society, digital content has become a significant object of ownership. This study investigated how people's attachment to and willingness to share digital content change under various situational circumstances. Using an experiment with a questionnaire survey, the study analysed data from 160 participants. The results of this study show that participants were more willing to share when they had control over their digital content. Additionally, possession attachment was low, while willingness to share was high when there was no cost or effort involved. These findings reveal that situational changes can impact possession attachment and willingness to share digital content, even when referring to the same digital content. The findings provide empirical evidence of the importance of considering diverse psychological factors when offering services, selling, and sharing digital content.

Suggested Citation

  • Simon Lee & Abdou Illia & Assion Lawson-Body, 2025. "An empirical study of ownership of digital content," International Journal of Business and Emerging Markets, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 17(3), pages 283-299.
    • Handle: RePEc:ids:ijbema:v:17:y:2025:i:3:p:283-299
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