Publishers caught in the Web?; strategies, performance and public policy

This study analyses the role of publishers in the digital age. The analysis runs as follows: identify characteristics of the market, confront that with the trend towards electronic publishing, see how that changes the strategies and role of publishers, assess market perfomance and identify the role of the government is such an environment. The study consists of a general framework, three case studies (on consumer magazines, scientific journals and copyrights) and a concluding part. The general framework first introduces a method of assessing market performance. Then business strategies follow from the specific characteristics of information goods.