The Intention to Download Music Files in a P2P Environment: Rational Choice, Fashion, and Ethical Decision Perspectives

Downloading unauthorized music file is deemed illegal and immoral, but the peer-to-peer systems have boosted its popularity. Many authors attributed this phenomenon to the low morality of Internet users, but inconclusive evidence to this argument was found. Extant literature seldom noticed that downloading music files is a new mean of music consumption. People, especially young generation, might rationally choose between downloading music files and buying CDs for greater utility for enjoying and pursuing after the fashion of music. This paper presents a conceptual model of file downloading by looking at and integrating these perspectives. An analysis of 834 samples drew from a questionnaire survey of P2P users in Taiwan generally supports the above assertion