Regulating Mediators of Internet Piracy : P2P Websites and Cyberlockers

Contemporary copyright infringement has significantly changed in the digital era, and due to the unique attributes of internet piracy and method of exchange, traditional regulatory approaches are ineffective. The characteristics of digital goods enable users to almost costlessly copy and exchange content. Much of contemporary research fails to incorporate the necessary components of exchange that is central to digital piracy. This paper examines the role of P2P network hosts and the often-omitted cyberlocker. I provide a simple framework that describes how these entities facilitate digital piracy and operate financially. This framework illustrates the objectives of piracy mediators, highlighting the avenues by which regulation can craft policy. My examination of online piracy highlights the challenges of contemporary policy to combat digital piracy due to the secondary consequences. Recent policies, aimed at diminishing piracy, would infringe on consumers' privacy, hurt business finances, or become strategically used by rival firms to hurt the operations of other legal entities