The Motive Internet Glossary
parasite economy
Parasite economy describes a software business model where developers pay a premium to have their software bundled with a larger (typically free) program. The user may not be aware that the installer they receive will also install the third-party software.
The third-party software may be an ‘added extra’, or required to operate the parent (host) program.
The parasite economy, Damien Cave (Salon.com)
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