The Google Book search settlement: A law and economics analysis

Beginning in December 2004 Google has pursued a new project to create a book search engine (Google Book Search). The project has released a storm of controversy around the globe. While the supporters of Google Book Search conceive the project as a first reasonable step towards unlimited access to knowledge in the information age, its opponents fear profound negative effects due to an erosion of copyright law. Our law and economics analysis of the Book Search Project suggests that – from a copyright perspective – the proposed settlement may be beneficial to right holders, consumers, and Google. For instance, it may provide a solution to the still unsolved dilemma of orphan works. From a competition policy perspective, we stress the important aspect that Google’s pricing algorithm for orphan and unclaimed works effectively replicates a competitive Nash-Bertrand market outcome under post-settlement, third-party oversight.Book Rights Registry; Competition Policy; Copyright; Fair Use; Google Book Search; Library Program; Orphan Works

Does Online Access Promote Research in Developing Countries?

Universities in developing countries have rarely been able to subscribe to academic journals in the past. The “Online Access to Research in the Environment” initiative (OARE) provides institutions in developing countries with free online access to more than 5,700 environmental science journals. Here we analyze the effect of OARE on scientific output in five developing countries. We apply difference-in-difference estimation using panel data for 18,955 articles from 798 research institutions. We find that online access via OARE increases publication output by at least 43% while lower-ranked institutions located in remote areas benefit less. Results are robust when we apply instrumental variables to account for information diffusion and Bayesian estimation to control for self-selectio

Does Online Access Promote Research in Developing Countries?

Universities in developing countries have rarely been able to subscribe to academic journals in the past. The “Online Access to Research in the Environment” initiative (OARE) provides institutions in developing countries with free online access to more than 5,700 environmental science journals. Here we analyze the effect of OARE on scientific output in five developing countries. We apply difference-in-difference estimation using panel data for 18,955 articles from 798 research institutions. We find that online access via OARE increases publication output by at least 43% while lower-ranked institutions located in remote areas benefit less. Results are robust when we apply instrumental variables to account for information diffusion and Bayesian estimation to control for self-selectio

Academic Publishing and Open Access

With the spread of the internet and new opportunities for publishing academic works digitally at virtually no costs, the traditional copyright model has recently been put under critical review which is for at least two reasons: First and foremost, a vast increase in subscription prices for academic journals has forced (university) libraries to significantly cut their journal portfolios. Second, copyright seems negligible in academia as researchers are motivated by reputation gains and CV effects rather than direct financial returns from publishing their works. As a consequence, the promotion of Open Access (OA) to scientific research is claimed as the perceived future of academic publishing in the information age. This paper critically reviews the OA debate by discussing theoretical and empirical arguments on the role of copyright in publishing scientific outcomes. A brief historical perspective introduces to the changed environmental conditions for scholarly publishing, pointing to a new trade-off in the digital age. By framing the debate in a broader literature stream and related issues, we provide with caveat for further research and a glimpse of possible future scenarios. It is shown that copyright may be both a blessing and a curse in establishing an effective framework for scientific progress

The Google Book search settlement: A law and economics analysis

Beginning in December 2004 Google has pursued a new project to create a book search engine (Google Book Search). The project has released a storm of controversy around the globe. While the supporters of Google Book Search conceive the project as a first reasonable step towards unlimited access to knowledge in the information age, its opponents fear profound negative effects due to an erosion of copyright law. Our law and economics analysis of the Book Search Project suggests that – from a copyright perspective – the proposed settlement may be beneficial to right holders, consumers, and Google. For instance, it may provide a solution to the still unsolved dilemma of orphan works. From a competition policy perspective, we stress the important aspect that Google’s pricing algorithm for orphan and unclaimed works effectively replicates a competitive Nash-Bertrand market outcome under post-settlement, third-party oversight

Academic Publishing and Open Access

With the spread of the internet and new opportunities for publishing academic works digitally at virtually no costs, the traditional copyright model has recently been put under critical review which is for at least two reasons: First and foremost, a vast increase in subscription prices for academic journals has forced (university) libraries to significantly cut their journal portfolios. Second, copyright seems negligible in academia as researchers are motivated by reputation gains and CV effects rather than direct financial returns from publishing their works. As a consequence, the promotion of Open Access (OA) to scientific research is claimed as the perceived future of academic publishing in the information age. This paper critically reviews the OA debate by discussing theoretical and empirical arguments on the role of copyright in publishing scientific outcomes. A brief historical perspective introduces to the changed environmental conditions for scholarly publishing, pointing to a new trade-off in the digital age. By framing the debate in a broader literature stream and related issues, we provide with caveat for further research and a glimpse of possible future scenarios. It is shown that copyright may be both a blessing and a curse in establishing an effective framework for scientific progress

Generative KI und Autorenrechte

Aufsätze, Studien oder allgemeine Werke der Literatur nicht mehr selbst schreiben, das ist im Zeitalter der Künstlichen Intelligenz (KI) längst keine Utopie mehr. Generative KI,zum Beispiel ChatGPT, stellt dabei den Rechtsrahmen vor ungeahnte Herausforderungen. Diese disruptive Änderung macht auch vor dem Urheberrecht nicht halt, wie der Aufschrei vieler Autoren in den Medien deutlich zeigt

Nicht-personenbezogene Daten: Der nächste Schritt zum digitalen Binnenmarkt

Das EU-Parlament hat am 4. Oktober einen Vorschlag für eine Verordnung für den freien Verkehr nicht-personenbezogener Daten in der Europäischen Union beschlossen. Die Verordnung soll Ende dieses Jahres noch in Kraft treten und die Wettbewerbsfähigkeit europäischer Unternehmen in der globalen Datenökonomie stärken

Künstliche Intelligenz und Haftungsrecht: die e-Person aus ökonomischer Sicht

Künstliche Intelligenz (KI) scheint den derzeitigen Rechtsrahmen infrage zu stellen, wenn Regeln aus einer analogen Welt auf Rechtsfragen des digitalen Zeitalters angewendet werden. Dies macht sich insbesondere dann bemerkbar, wenn KI-Systeme Schäden verursachen. Die akademische Rechtsdiskussion beschäftigt sich aktuell damit, ob ein KI-System selbst haftbar gemacht werden soll. Dazu wurde das Rechtskonstrukt der e-Person entwickelt. Allerdings ist die Debatte in erster Linie von einem falschen Verständnis des technologischen Potenzials der künstlichen Intelligenz getrieben. Würde dies zur Grundlage einer Reform, ist mit schwerwiegenden wirtschaftlichen Auswirkungen zu rechnen