Exceeding or Respecting the Norm? An Analysis of Digital Platform Strategy through the Neo-Institutional Theory
Based on neo-institutional theory, this article analyses how institutional pressures can shape regulatory practices and copyright management in the digital age. To this end, we consider digital platforms, in particular the Google search engine and the generative artificial intelligences ChatGPT (OpenAI) and Google Gemini. The use of documentary research allows us to study the conflicts between Google and OpenAI on the one hand, and the traditional press sector on the other, through widely documented legal conflicts. In addition to the legal aspects, we also propose reading grids for understanding the institutional work carried out by the two companies. This research contributes to a more precise understanding of the dynamics induced by the frictions between technological innovation and legal regulation (or even its bypass). In our view, this approach highlights how sectoral practices and the formulation of public policies may be influenced by institutional work.