BACKGROUND AND QUESTION:
The arrival of Napster in 1999, followed by other (illegal) peer-to-peer (P2P) file-sharing technologies
(e.g. Limewire, Kazaa, etc.), allowed internet users to illegally share unauthorised music and impacted
the recorded music industry in a significant way. Sales of recorded music (CD albums and singles)
fell dramatically and record labels began pursuing legal action against website services facilitating
illegal P2P file sharing, as well as individuals caught infringing music copyright. Since this time,
legal streaming services (such as Spotify and Apple Music) have entered the market and industry sales
have started to recover but illegal downloading/streaming remains an important concern for the
industry – particularly with the potential of block-chain technology to again disrupt the industry.
Using the basic demand and supply model as the foundation of your analysis, and importantly the
concepts of consumer surplus and producer surplus, explain how the arrival of illegal P2P file-sharing
technologies impacted the market for recorded music. In addition to relevant economic theories and
concepts, you should also discuss some of the ethical issues that relate to illegal downloading.
You should structure your assignment around the following:
(i) Issues: Identify and explain the main economic and ethical issues related to the
introduction of (illegal) P2P file-sharing technologies on the recorded music industry.
(ii) Analysis: Analyse the issues identified in (i). You must use relevant economic theory and
ethical arguments.
(iii) Position: Derive your position on the issues identified in (i). You must provide evidence
by interpreting, evaluating, integrating and synthesising your analysis done in (ii).
(iv) Critique: Defend your position derived in (iii) against the best possible argument(s) that
may be raised in opposition to your position. You must consider the assumptions and
implications of your position.
(Hint: When considering consumer surplus, keep in mind consumers can derive surplus from both
legal and illegal alternatives).
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IMPORTANT INFORMATION:
General
The assignment is strictly 1000 words maximum (excluding reference list). It is not necessary to have
equal word count for each part above but keep in mind each section is equally weighted (see below).
The assignment must be prepared using a word processing program (e.g. Microsoft Word). As
detailed below, however, your final submission must be in PDF format.
It is strongly recommended that you include some figures to assist your exposition. Any included
figures should be prepared electronically (e.g. Microsoft Word drawing tool).
The report will count towards 20% of your final mark.
Formatting/Referencing
The assignment must be 1.5-spaced. Use a standard font (e.g. Times New Roman, Calibri, Arial) with
a font size of 11 or 12.
All sources used in the assignment should be appropriately referenced using a standard referencing
system (e.g. Harvard style). The reference list will not count towards your final word count. Please
consult Macquarie University Library’s resources for further information about referencing.
There is no ideal number of references but around five to eight good references would provide a
benchmark for an assignment of this length.
Submission
The assignment is due 3pm Friday May 4, 2018. Students who have not submitted before the
deadline will be penalised 20% of full marks per day (accepted up to 96 hours late). No extensions
will be granted except in cases where an application for Special Consideration has been approved.
You must submit through iLearn using the Turnitin link provided. Submission links will be open one
week prior to the deadline. All submissions must be in PDF format. Turnitin often encounters
problems with Microsoft Word files that include figures and/or tables. Failure to submit as a PDF file
may result in a marker being unable to mark your submission.
The Faculty of Business and Economics uses plagiarism detecting software (Turnitin) on all
submissions. By submitting through Turnitin each student acknowledges the University’s policies
relating to plagiarism and academic misconduct. Please see Unit Guide for more information.
You are welcome (and encouraged) to work with other students to assist in developing your
knowledge and ideas but ultimately the final submission must represent your own work.
Marking
The assignment is primarily intended to assess the Program Learning Outcome related to ‘Ethical
Thinking’ but also relates to ‘Problem Solving’ and ‘Communication’. Presentation, grammar,
spelling, and correct referencing practice will also be considered in marking.
A detailed marking rubric is provided as an appendix table in this document.
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CHECKLISTS:
Document Preparation Checklist
☠My assignment is typed using a word processor (e.g. MS Word).
☠My assignment is written in full sentences and in clear language.
☠My assignment is proofread and grammatical errors and typos are minimised.
☠My assignment is written under the word limit, 1000 words.
☠My assignment is written with a standard font with a size of 11 at least.
☠Diagrams are drawn clearly and fully labelled. Poorly drawn diagrams reflect poor communication,
which may result in loss of marks.
☠Diagrams are not distorted and properly inserted into the master document.
☠My assignment is saved as a PDF file of a size less than 40MB.
After-Submission Checklist
☠I have double-checked whether the assignment was properly uploaded.
☠I have seen my originality report.
☠I have received the Turnitin receipt via email.