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It Was 50 Years Ago Today: Recording Copyright Term and the Supply of Music

Author

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  • Jeremy Watson

    (Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455)

  • Megan MacGarvie

    (Questrom School of Business, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215; National Bureau of Economic Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138)

  • John McKeon

    (Questrom School of Business, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215)

Abstract

This paper examines the effect of the expiry of recording copyright on the supply of music—in the form of rereleases, availability on streaming platforms, and concert performances—by artists popular in the United Kingdom in the 1960s. We find that recording copyright expiry has different effects on a song’s availability in different distribution channels. The lapsing of copyright leads to a large increase in the number of rereleases in physical formats, holding constant artist, age, and year fixed effects. However, when a song’s original recording copyright expires, it becomes less likely to be performed in concert. Moreover, copyright status is not associated with differences in availability on the digital streaming platform Spotify. These results show that copyright expiry has nuanced effects on availability and can lead to different and even opposite effects on availability of a product across different distribution channels. They also show that within the context of digital distribution, the impact of copyright on availability differs based on the business model of a platform.

Suggested Citation

  • Jeremy Watson & Megan MacGarvie & John McKeon, 2023. "It Was 50 Years Ago Today: Recording Copyright Term and the Supply of Music," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 69(1), pages 351-376, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:inm:ormnsc:v:69:y:2023:i:1:p:351-376
    DOI: 10.1287/mnsc.2022.4343
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    2. Christian Peukert & Margaritha Windisch, 2023. "The Economics of Copyright in the Digital Age," CESifo Working Paper Series 10687, CESifo.

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