Web sites like Napster demonstrate that the pursuit of self-interest can lead to a collective disaster when one or more people start to profit from being unethical because this encourages other people to act in the same way. This exemplifies a situation known as the _____.
A) "race to the bottom"
B) "tragedy of the commons"
C) "prisoner's dilemma"
D) "war of attrition"
E) "market for lemons"

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

In the Napster case, the tragedy that would result if all people were to steal digital media would be the disappearance of music, movie, and book companies as creative people decided there was no point in working hard to produce original songs, stories, and so on. The situation brought about by Napster is an example of what is called the "tragedy of the commons." Author: Napster has reformed into a legitimate company. Is question OK as is, or does it need to be reworded to indicate that Napster no longer violates digital media laws?

Web Sites Like Napster Demonstrate That the Pursuit of Self-Interest