The EFF has released a white paper outlining a proposed solution to the file sharing wars. It may strike one as compulsory licensing lite, but that perhaps is unfair, as everything is voluntary in the proposal. Still, the system would have to deal with versions of the problems with compulsory licensing (not an exhaustive list).
The one thing that really irritates me about this proposal (and it irritates me every time I hear it, which is often: example) is the mantra that “artists and copyright holders deserve to be fairly compensated.” Yeah, whatever. For some highly variable and contentious definition of “fair”.
Derek Slater provides links here.
Discussion at InfoAnarchy.
[…] A system in the spirit of one or both of these proposals could perhaps help fund a voluntary collective licensing scheme of the sort contemplated for digital music, but conceivably applicable to other types of work. […]
[…] Voluntary collective licensing may have a role to play but I’m afraid I’m going to have to completely write off “Noank Media” before they even have a website. […]
[…] communications in the interest of ensuring copyright holders get paid. It is appalling that EFF is still willing to invite sacrifice of everything they fight for at the alter of paying copyright holders. […]