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Why the Music Industry May Gain from Free Downloading - the Role of Sampling

Martin Peitz
University of Mannheim - Department of Economics

Patrick Waelbroeck
Ecole Nationale Superieure des Telecommunications


October 2005

International University in Germany Working Paper No. 41/2005

Abstract:     
Downloading digital products for free may harm creators and intermediaries because consumers may no longer buy the version for sale. However, as we show in this paper, this negative effect may be overcompensated by a positive effect due to sampling: consumers are willing to pay more because the match between product characteristics and buyers' tastes are improved. This indeed holds under sufficient taste heterogeneity and product diversity.

Keywords: file-sharing, P2P, sampling, information transmission, piracy, music

JEL Classifications: L11, L82

Working Paper Series

Date posted: November 02, 2005 ; Last revised: November 10, 2005

Suggested Citation

Peitz, Martin and Waelbroeck, Patrick, Why the Music Industry May Gain from Free Downloading - the Role of Sampling (October 2005). International University in Germany Working Paper No. 41/2005. Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=829544


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Contact Information

Martin Peitz (Contact Author)
University of Mannheim - Department of Economics ( email )
D-68131 Mannheim Germany
+49 621 181-1835 (Phone)
HOME PAGE: http://peitz.vwl.uni-mannheim.de/
Patrick Waelbroeck
Ecole Nationale Superieure des Telecommunications ( email )
46, rue Barrault
F-75634 Paris Cedex 13 France
+33 0 45 81 76 31 (Phone)
+33 0 45 65 95 15 (Fax)
HOME PAGE: http://egsh.enst.fr/waelbroeck/
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