{"resolved":true,"match_type":"uuid","source_type":"original_book","book_id":"50b7f922-b940-4a05-8eb0-c4dc0d8ec9ed","title":"Digital Capitalism","author":null,"edition":null,"publisher":null,"year":null,"isbn":"2021022153","requested_by":"printed_page","book":{"source_type":"original_book","book_id":"50b7f922-b940-4a05-8eb0-c4dc0d8ec9ed","id":"50b7f922-b940-4a05-8eb0-c4dc0d8ec9ed","uuid":"50b7f922-b940-4a05-8eb0-c4dc0d8ec9ed","title":"Digital Capitalism","normalized_title":"digitalcapitalism","author":null,"edition":null,"publisher":null,"year":null,"isbn":"2021022153","isbns":["2021022153","9781032119182","9781032119205","9781003222149","2405518376"],"parsed":true,"ai_readable":true,"document_type":"book","page_count":343,"navigation_url":"https://workshop.closeclaw.top/ai/book/50b7f922-b940-4a05-8eb0-c4dc0d8ec9ed","title_url":"https://workshop.closeclaw.top/ai/title/Digital%20Capitalism","fixed_page_url_template":"https://workshop.closeclaw.top/ai/book/50b7f922-b940-4a05-8eb0-c4dc0d8ec9ed/page/{printed_page}","path_api_url_template":"https://workshop.closeclaw.top/api/ai/book/50b7f922-b940-4a05-8eb0-c4dc0d8ec9ed/page/{printed_page}","read_url":"https://workshop.closeclaw.top/api/ai/read/50b7f922-b940-4a05-8eb0-c4dc0d8ec9ed","page_url":"https://workshop.closeclaw.top/api/ai/books/50b7f922-b940-4a05-8eb0-c4dc0d8ec9ed/page","search_url":"https://workshop.closeclaw.top/api/ai/books/50b7f922-b940-4a05-8eb0-c4dc0d8ec9ed/search"},"page":{"printed_page":292,"pdf_page":306,"physical_index":306,"physical_index_base":0,"printed_page_status":"recognized","page_sha256":"76aa167a291c8373a537e971854f735c96bf5900e633a33342428c560ae855ae"},"chapter":"DIGITAL CAPITALISM","content":"In the case of information, because of a sunk-cost rule the initial copy or prototype tends to be cost-intensive. This means that the value measured as labour-time that is required for information production is high. But once information is created, the value for reproducing it is extremely small or almost zero. There are only costs and labour-time for reproducing and circulating information or for updating it, but not for originally creating it because it is not used up during consumption. A mechanism that is therefore of particular importance for achieving profit by selling information is to secure copyrights and to sell copies and licenced usage of information at prices that stand above labour-values. The difference between the low production price of a copy guaranteed by low labour inputs and in comparison a relatively high sales-price is an important principle of capital accumulation in the information industries.\n\nThis mechanism can be observed in the data presented in this section: I showed for the German information industries that on average during a period of ten years, the difference between commodity values and commodity prices was about 13%. The price/ value difference reached an average maximum of 26.3% in telecommunications, where the peak difference was 47.0% in 2002. In publishing, audiovisuals, and broadcasting the average price/value difference was 11.1%, in IT/information services 5.1%, and in arts, entertainment, and recreation 10.7%. We can in comparison calculate the price/value difference for the entire German economy (excluding finance and renting that we consider as unproductive sectors) and the manufacturing sector (table 12.8). We can see that on average manufacturing goods tended to be sold 4.8% above their values. In the total economy, values on average roughly equalled prices. This is not a proof, but a potential indication that the information industries tend to be especially characterised by selling commodities above their average values and to accumulate surplus-profits. To substantiate this assumption, further research will be needed in the future with data from different countries. The assumption that the information industries use a special form of capital accumulation is further substantiated by the fact that the price profit rate in manufacturing was on average around 7% and in the total German economy (excluding finance and real estate) around 13% (table 12.9), whereas the average in the information industries was around 30% (table 12.7). In these data, profits tend to be quite higher in relation to investment costs in the information industries than both in the total German economy and the manufacturing industry.\n\n292\n\nThemes","previous_page":291,"next_page":293}