When Deviation Leads to Innovation: Dealing with Unsolicited Software Development

Abstract

Products and services offered by a firm are often used in unexpected ways. For the firm this poses a dilemma: it does not want to stifle creativity, but it does not want to loose control either. Software, being easy to copy, is even harder to control. The cases of Wifi-Sync for iPhone and Freeplayer mods for Freebox show that it can be beneficial to turn a blind eye to deviant behavior temporarily as long as the main offer can be disassociated from these activities and interesting user innovations resulting from the behavior can be appropriated in future versions.