Information Rules Quotes

“When managing intellectual property, your goal should be to choose the terms and conditions that maximize the value of your intellectual property, not the terms and conditions that maximize the protection.”
― Carl Shapiro, Information Rules: A Strategic Guide to the Network Economy

“In the case of Apple, there is effectively a network of Macintosh users, which is in danger of falling below critical mass.”
― Carl Shapiro, Information Rules: A Strategic Guide to the Network Economy

“The familiar if sad tale of Apple Computer illustrates this crucial concept. Apple has suffered of late because positive feedback has fueled the competing system offered by Microsoft and Intel. As Wintel’s share of the personal computer market grew, users found the Wintel system more and more attractive. Success begat more success, which is the essence of positive feedback. With Apple’s share continuing to decline, many computer users now worry that the Apple Macintosh will shortly become the Sony Beta of computers, orphaned and doomed to a slow death as support from software producers gradually fades away. This worry is cutting into Apple’s sales, making it a potentially self-fulfilling forecast. Failure breeds failure: this, too, is the essence of positive feedback.”
― Carl Shapiro, Information Rules: A Strategic Guide to the Network Economy