If You Build It, They Won’t Come: Placing User-Generated Content in Context of Commercial Copyright Policy

Mashing-Up Culture: The Rise of User-Generated Content Workshop, Uppsala University, Sweden, May 13th-14th, 2009

17 Pages Posted: 19 May 2009

Date Written: May 19, 2009

Abstract

The present paper deals with policy changes to copyright law in light of the explosion in user-generated content, and its growing relevance to people. There are two narratives at work in modern debates about copyright. Firstly, commercial content owners (the traditional copyright industries) tend to over-emphasise the importance to the economy of maintaining the status quo, particularly by stressing the figure of copyright as a source of livelihood for struggling artists. Secondly, there is the one presented by user-generated content advocates, which assumes that it will bring about a more equal and democratic internet. The starting point will be to study usage figures for both commercial and non-commercial content, followed by an analysis of its possible implications for the much-needed overhaul in copyright policy.

Keywords: user-generated content, self-organisation, long tail, copyright

JEL Classification: K30

Suggested Citation

Guadamuz, Andres, If You Build It, They Won’t Come: Placing User-Generated Content in Context of Commercial Copyright Policy (May 19, 2009). Mashing-Up Culture: The Rise of User-Generated Content Workshop, Uppsala University, Sweden, May 13th-14th, 2009, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1406924

Andres Guadamuz (Contact Author)

University of Sussex ( email )

Falmer
Brighton, BN1 9QN
United Kingdom

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