Data and Code for: Digitization and the Market for Physical Products: Evidence from Google Books

The free digital distribution of creative works could cannibalize demand for physical versions, but it could also boost physical sales by enabling consumers to discover the original work. We study the impact of the Google Books digitization project on the market for physical books. We find that digitization significantly boosts the demand for physical versions and provide evidence for the discovery channel. Moreover, digitization allows independent publishers to introduce new editions for existing books, further increasing sales. Our results highlight the potential of free digital distribution to strengthen the demand for and supply of physical products.

创意作品的免费数字分发，既可能蚕食实体版本的市场需求，也可通过让消费者发现原作来提振实体销量。本研究考察了谷歌图书（Google Books）数字化项目对实体图书市场的影响。研究发现，数字化可显著提振实体版本的市场需求，并为“发现渠道”机制提供了实证支撑。此外，数字化还允许独立出版商为现有作品推出新版次，进一步拉动销量增长。本研究结果凸显了免费数字分发在强化实体产品需求与供给层面的潜在价值。