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We formulate a model that captures the inter-dependence between hardware demand and software supply - indirect network effect - in the DVD industry. The identification of the network effect comes from the difference in software availability across two different formats: VHS and DVD. We find that a 1% increase in the number of DVD titles raises the demand for DVD players by 0.87%. Simultaneously, a 1% increase in video player ownership leads to a 0.14% increase in the variety of video titles. Our simulations show that hardware manufacturers might be able to internalize the network externality to increase total industry revenues.

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We analyze the licensing of a drastic innovation when products are differentiated due to consumer and/or product heterogeneity. We show that an industry insider prefers to divest its production arm and license the new technology as an industry outsider, in which case it can replicate multiproduct monopoly profit. We derive the optimal contracts and the optimal number of licenses by assuming a logit demand system. Optimal number of licenses, quite strikingly, increases when the technology has a higher relative value than a commercialized alternative. This result stands in sharp contrast with the literature on the licensing of a homogenous good.