Sharing, Streaming, Stealing or Socialising?
About this project

Lead investigator(s):
– Dr Piers Fleming
– Dr Piers Fleming
Co-investigator(s):
– Prof Daniel Zizzo
– Prof Daniel Zizzo
Start Date: 1st January 2013
End Date: 31st December 2014
Summary
This project carried out a review of the factors, attitudes and methodologies examined in filesharing research. It included an empirical study of files-sharing behaviour focussing on games and ebooks. The project concluded with an experimental study using a behavioural economic paradigm to examine incentives and social factors on filesharing behaviour (or a proxy for filesharing behaviour) which will aim to inform potential policy outcomes.
Project outputs include:
- Determinants of Unlawful File Sharing – this talk was presented at European Policy for Intellectual Property (EPIP) 2014.
- Survey of Potential Determinants of Unlawful File Sharing – What is the Moderating Role of Risk? – this talk was presented at Society for Risk Analysis Europe in June 2014.
- Perceptions of legal risk do not predict behaviour in unlawful file sharing: An empirical analysis – this talk was given at European Policy for Intellectual Property (EPIP) 2015.
- Determinants of Unlawful File Sharing: A Scoping Review – for this study presented in PLoS ONE, the authors employed a scoping review methodology to consider and assess the existing evidence on the determinants of unlawful file sharing (UFS) transparently and systematically. Based on the evidence, a simple conceptual framework was built to model the psychological decision to engage in UFS, purchase legally or do nothing. The authors identified social, moral, experiential, technical, legal and financial utility sources of the decision to purchase or to file share. This work has also been presented in a CREATe working paper and is presented along with supplementary information.
- The European Commission’s public consultation on the review of EU copyright rules: a response by the CREATe Centre, European Intellectual Property Review – this CREATE working paper pre-print of European Intellectual Property Review [E.I.P.R.] 36(9), pp. 547-553 (August 2014).
- CREATe Report Launch: ‘A review of the causes and impacts of unlawful file sharing’ – The report was launched on April 11, 2014 in London with representatives from the creative industry, policy makers, creators and academics in attendance. This portal provides access to the report along with links to press coverage, images and transcripts of the proceedings.
- Project poster – project activities have been summarised in this poster which was presented at the CREATe All Hands conference in September 2014.