Sharing Subscription Services

Background

A subscription service is a business model “where a customer must pay a subscription price to have access to the product/service.” This business model exists both online and offline. Subscription services are not limited to the realm of newspaper and magazine subscriptions. Additional offline examples of subscription services include gym memberships, cable television and telephone providers. In the case of select magazines and newspapers, companies may offer access to their product (i.e. content) offline and online through a single subscription. Many offline subscriptions deliver a physical good to a subscriber. The subscriber owns the physical good permanently – he or she has the power to decide what to do with the good. This ownership does not apply equivalently online. A company may terminate the website or remove content or service elements of the website at any time. Subscribers do not have the power to make decisions about their subscription or establish ownership online; companies’ ownership reigns through the entire lifecycle of the subscription.

Examples

Online

Websites of:

• News providers

Wall Street Journal New York Times

• Directories

Angie's List

• Movie and Music providers

Netflix [www.netflix.com] Rhapsody

Offline

• Newspapers

- Wall Street Journal
- New York Times

• Magazines

- Sports Illustrated
- WIRED

• Directories
• Movie and Music providers

- Netflix
- Sirius XM Radio 

Information Policy

Test.

Ethics of Sharing Subscription Services

Those who believe issues of information ethics isolated from technology and connected to technology should be approached in the same manner are referred to as “traditionalists.” This approach is taken by subscribers who do not differentiate sharing subscription services online from sharing subscription service offline. These subscribers perceive technology simply as a tool which enables them to share their subscription in a contemporary fashion. From this perspective, technology does not introduce an opportunity to revisit the ethics of subscription sharing. The ethics are understood as already established policies which authorize subscribers to share freely.

Notes

Wikipedia. “Subscription business model,” Accessed September 22, 2011. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subscription_service