Analysis

Investigation of this policy problem has been examined through a interdisciplinary enquiry.  Literature, economic data, and a public opinion enquiry have been examined at length to provide thorough analysis of the issue.  The U.S. case study was used for comparative purposes.  This section will outline the method used.

Multileveled Data Gathering:

Multileveled data gathering was an approach used to obtain a significant cross section of information.  This enabled a comprehensive survey of stakeholder interests and opinions from various fields.  There was a vast amount of information to be investigated from all of the disciplines examined.  This is another impetus for further study of the issues for more detailed analyses.

Validity of Analytical Approach:

This section will highlight the validity of the report as well as identifying areas of weakness.  From this, future study can approach the policy with these in mind.

The CIA approach successfully supports the intended claim because of the following factors.

1. International relevance: The comparative tools used in CIA enable the consideration of the issue on a global scale.  Analysis of copyright policy in a purely New Zealand context works against the globalised nature of the issue.  The international implications of policy-making are evident in an increasingly interconnected world.
2. Qualitative and quantitative balance:  The data gathered for the report indicates a balance of qualitative and quantitative information.  The range of statistical data, economic theories, legal discourse and policy submissions provide a full analysis.  This strengthens the validity of the findings of the report given the consideration of several perspectives.  Through extracting the most valuable information from each of these fields, the analysis is more robust.

Consideration of stakeholder interests:  Given the topic of the policy report, it was relevant to investigate the resources provided on the Internet in the way of collaborative, informal fora.  The opinions posted on blogs, the NZ Herald website, and public submissions regarding the recent amendment were surveyed.  It largely reflected public opinion on the direction of copyright protection.  In future policy analysis, these avenues could be valuable in accessing vital information about the constituencies being targeted.

The validity of the findings could be strengthened in several areas.  This primarily involves another case study and deeper statistical enquiries.

1. Disparities between the U.S. and NZ model: This is cited earlier as a strength of the study.  This claim is still supported due to the ability for the NZ direction to diverge where appropriate.  However, more case studies could be adopted for comparison.  The Canadian and Australian copyright models may be helpful to study.
2. The impact of piracy on declining revenue: A thorough statistical enquiry into piracy rates and its impact on declining revenue, particularly in the music industry could aid the understanding of the scope of the problem.
3. The impact of over-regulation on innovation: This is another research area that is not conclusive.[1] This indicates an opportunity for further study and examination.

[1] Shubha Ghosh. “How to Build a Commons: Is Intellectual Property Constrictive, Facilitating, or Irrelevant?” In Understanding Knowledge as a Common: From Theory to Practice, edited by Charlotte Hess and Elinor Ostrom, 209-45, 2007.