User Decisions Among Digital Piracy and Legal Alternatives for Film and Music

Technologies enabling digital piracy have expanded the variety of modes available to users when deciding how to access film and music. We examine user decisions in context, investigating which factors influence the decision to use traditional or new legal options over piracy. Our study contributes to the literature by reporting on an extension of an integrated model about user decisions which explores the impact of available technologies, socio-economic characteristics, and differences in user preferences on the legality of users’ access behavior. The study uses a sample of Danish internet users recruited from the general population. Findings indicate that the economic considerations of price perception and perceived legal availability are the most consistent factors in influencing the access-mode decisions across the various legal options. We close with a discussion of the implications for research and practice.