Copyrighted Music in Social Media Content

• In Event: GIG ECONOMY and SOCIAL MEDIA RESEARCH: Media, Markets, and Metrics: Social Media’s Influence on Content, Competition, and Consumer Trends

Abstract

Illegal usage of copyrighted music in video content emerged as a new type of digital piracy. However, in this setting, the pirate uses the copyrighted good to add value to their own work rather than to simply provide a substitute. YouTube recently implemented a new program for the copyright holders and the pirates to cooperate by sharing revenue generated from the video content. We investigate the effects brought by this new program: whether this program benefits the stakeholders and how it impacts their decisions.

Authors

• Myung Jin Lee, Texas A&M University

• Xuying Zhao, Texas A&M University

• Christopher S. Tang, Anderson School of Management - University of California Long Beach

• Lifei Sheng, University of Houston -- Clear Lake