Competition in the Digital Age
There has been much discussion regarding YouTube's approaches to copyright protection. In many respects, what YouTube is doing is providing a set of institutions designed at reducing the transactions costs associated with managing copyright. At its best, YouTube allows copyright owners to assert ownership when their work or part of their work is used by …
Continue reading "An important development for fair use on YouTube"
Uber has a difficult challenge. Faced with voracious interest group attacks, every misstep is a potential public relations problem. Previously, they have been hit hard regarding 'surge pricing' whereby in periods of high demand prices may be several multiples their usual level. We economists like surge pricing because it effectively rations demand while encouraging supply. …
I have just finished danah boyd's new book, It's Complicated: The Social Life of Networked Teens. danah was (and still is) a researcher at Microsoft Research when I was there in 2011. I didn't interact with her too much as I was focussed on other matters but it always struck me that her investigations into …
I update my Apple devices regularly so when, four days ago, a security alert was issued and then an iOS software update appeared, I did not think too much about it. But this article in Slate about what the security issue was and how it was found piqued my interest. It is worth reading, take …
Continue reading "Apple's goto fail is pretty interesting and worth reading about"
Comcast and Netflix have come to a deal on 'peering.' Basically, what this means is that Netflix will pay Comcast to ensure that Netflix's customers get good internet service for Netflix. While apparently, Netflix is not getting special treatment under the deal, as we economists all know, it is what not having a deal would …
Fear of tipping dominates information technology. The most famous example of this was PC and Mac where an orientation towards business led to a greater variety of software titles being available for Windows than Mac which wasn't dislodged until the use of the Internet became the primary use case for a computer. But today, where …
Continue reading "Why the mobile operating system market won't tip"
There's nothing like $19 billion dollars to set the cat amongst the pigeons. And what's more for something most people even those tech savvy neither use and, in many cases, haven't heard of. Regular readers will be happy to learn that I have been watching this space for some time due to a long standing …
Continue reading "WhatsApp to Facebook? Strategic compatibility, that's What"
While most of the world think that Flappy Bird is fairly useless and without redeeming value, some think there is opportunity. Folks, thanks to my son, I bring you Flappy Economist. In it you control the money supply but you have to balance between the economy going between disastrous unemployment or rampant inflation. Of course, …
Comcast and Time Warner want to merge their cable operations in the US. They are the two largest Pay TV companies but the merger would result in them having 30 percent of the US pay TV market. That said, competition is, in many respects local, and the argument is that there the shares of each …
"I just doubled my high score." "What did you get? 2?" "Yes." That is a typical conversation one might have with others regarding Flappy Bird, the hottest mobile game right now. Here is the words that emanate when you play it: "X%$^##*&**&(*%#" Start Again. Tap tap tap "X%$^##*&**&(*%#" Suffice it to say, don't play this …
Digitopoly 