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Online Service Providers: A New and Unique Species of the Firm?

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The Responsibilities of Online Service Providers

Part of the book series: Law, Governance and Technology Series ((LGTS,volume 31))

Abstract

This chapter discusses Online Service Providers (OSPs) and gauges whether they can be defined as a new and unique species of the firm. It is concluded that OSPs have many typical features such as their intermediary role, the dependence on network effects, and a capacity to grow rapidly across borders via the online medium, but that there are few features that distinguish them as a unique species. Yet, it is argued that the intertwined social relation with end-customers, often in co-development milieu combined with the lack of a direct monetary relationship, could be one such unique feature. Therefore, an important challenge, particularly for countries in the global South, is to construct and implement policy frameworks in order to ensure that OSPs and the people using them are embedded in a dynamic but fair environment.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for International Business Studies, School of Business, Economics and Law, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden

    Robert Wentrup & Patrik Ström

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  1. Robert Wentrup
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  2. Patrik Ström
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Correspondence to Robert Wentrup .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Oxford Internet Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom

    Mariarosaria Taddeo

  2. Alan Turing Institute, London, United Kingdom

    Luciano Floridi

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Wentrup, R., Ström, P. (2017). Online Service Providers: A New and Unique Species of the Firm?. In: Taddeo, M., Floridi, L. (eds) The Responsibilities of Online Service Providers. Law, Governance and Technology Series, vol 31. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-47852-4_9

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