Incentive Systems in Multi-Level Markets for Virtual Goods
نویسنده
چکیده
As an alternative to rigid DRM measures, ways of marketing virtual goods through multi-level or networked marketing have raised some interest. This report is a first approach to multi-level markets for virtual goods from the viewpoint of theoretical economy. A generic, kinematic model for the monetary flow in multi-level markets, which quantitatively describes the incentives that buyers receive through resale revenues, is devised. Building on it, the competition of goods is examined in a dynamical, utilitytheoretic model enabling, in particular, a treatment of the free-rider problem. The most important implications for the design of multi-level market mechanisms for virtual goods, or multi-level incentive management systems, are outlined.
منابع مشابه
On Incentive Systems Based on Multi-Level Marketing of Virtual Goods
A generic model for the monetary flow in multi-level marketing schemes for virtual goods, so called incentive management systems, is introduced and analysed. It is shown that such schemes can in principle be fair, and it is argued that they can be viably realised if the value of the distributed good is positive. It is shown how the monetary incentive a buyer receives through the scheme can be p...
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