Business models for information goods electronic commerce: Conceptual framework and analysis of examples

Electronic commerce studies have created important models for the trade of physical goods via Internet. These models are not easily suitable for the trade of information goods. Lowly codified information goods are hard to represent unambiguously among trading partners, their property rights are hard to secure, and the determination of volume and price is difficult. Highly codified information goods are easier traded by markets but have different levels of abstraction, which leads to specific requirements for their business models. The article analyses several information goods trade models that are derived from the framework presented