DanielF

Is a Music 'Tax' Paid to ISPs the Answer?

It has been said that the most common file format on the I-Pod is "stolen". The Times in the UK recently had an interesting article on the issue:

technology.timesonline...

Given that everything is available somewhere, somehow at the moment, there is a huge risk in introducing subscription models which limit access to media or make themselves unusable by implementing digital rights management that makes copying impossible.

Flexibility is essential. You want it on your I-Pod, your cell phone and your PC? That's 3 payments please. Consumers rightly see most DRM as an attempt to get them to pay over and over for the same thing.

That's why a "tax" (or automatic subscription) makes sense. It's universal, and for a management fee for each download, the current crop of online stores could turn themselves into distribution channels for the music and live off a flat fee of 2c per song downloaded, capped at $1 a month per user and still make money.