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The liability of politicalness: legitimacy and legality in piracy-proximate entrepreneurship

Author

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  • Karl PalmÃ¥s
  • Jonas Andersson Schwarz
  • Stefan Larsson

Abstract

This article explores three entrepreneurial ventures that have evolved in proximity to online piracy. In reviewing the respective cases of Spotify, Skype, and The Pirate Bay, the argument outlines the radically divergent strategies with which the entrepreneurs have sought to legitimise their ventures and underlying technologies. The article concludes that: 1) the context of practices labelled 'pirate' are paradigmatic examples of fields in which entrepreneurs must work exceptionally hard to legitimise themselves; 2) in this context, it is crucial that the role of law is analytically isolated from the role of institutionalised legitimacy; 3) success in legitimisation is largely dependent upon the entrepreneur's ability to demonstrate that the venture is governed by 'the natural order' of the economy. It is further argued that piracy-proximate ventures may contribute to the entrepreneurship field, inasmuch as they teeter on the border of being considered too disruptive, and thus suffer from a 'liability of politicalness'.

Suggested Citation

  • Karl PalmÃ¥s & Jonas Andersson Schwarz & Stefan Larsson, 2014. "The liability of politicalness: legitimacy and legality in piracy-proximate entrepreneurship," International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 22(4), pages 408-425.
    • Handle: RePEc:ids:ijesbu:v:22:y:2014:i:4:p:408-425
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    Cited by:

    1. Fabio La Rosa & Sergio Paternostro & Francesca Bernini, 2023. "Corporate and regional governance antecedents of the Legality Rating of private Italian companies," Journal of Management & Governance, Springer;Accademia Italiana di Economia Aziendale (AIDEA), vol. 27(1), pages 297-329, March.
    2. Baoshan Ge & Dake Jiang & Yang Gao & Sang-Bing Tsai, 2016. "The Influence of Legitimacy on a Proactive Green Orientation and Green Performance: A Study Based on Transitional Economy Scenarios in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(12), pages 1-20, December.

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