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International Journal of Industrial Organization
Volume 8, Issue 2, June 1990, Pages 259-270
 
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doi:10.1016/0167-7187(90)90019-W    How to Cite or Link Using DOI (Opens New Window)
Copyright © 1990 Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Network effects without network externalities

Chien-fu Chou and Oz Shy*

State University of New York at Albany, Albany, NY 12222, USA

Available online 19 March 2002.

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Abstract

The network externalities hypothesis postulates that consumers prefer to purchase brands which are bought by more consumers compared with brands with a low market share. In this paper, we show that increasing returns to scale in the production of complementary products can substitute for the network externalities assumption. We develop a model for the computer industry in which the production of complementary software requires a large fixed cost of development relative to the cost of duplicating and marketing the software. The increasing returns to scale in the production of software yields consumers' behavior which is very similar to consumers who have preferences exhibiting network externalities.

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