[pp.int.general] cultural flatrate: PP position?

[Christian]

Reinier Bakels wrote:
>> of tracking who downloads what, to share the money in a fair manner? Or
>> can you live with the fact, that you install a system that is not
>> perfect, but works pretty well?
> 
> You underestimate the redistribution problem.
> Some people assume that advanced accouting schemes will be able to know
> precisely what author is entitled to what amount of money. But that
> starts from a (technocratic) view that considers "culture production"
> just like any other economic endeavour. While actually the cultural
> diversity is the prime purpose (see American constitution -
> unfortunately Europe lacks a similar base). This is not just theory: a
> redistribution scheme based on numbers will favour middle of the road
> mass culture. And the shareholders of the handful of gigantic record
> conglomerates that are remaining.
> Consider the (narrow) defintion of "rent seeking": "an activity by
> commercial entities advocating apparently(!) reasonable legislation that
> favours their bottom line." Running a business in copyrighted material
> is a matter of policing. I worked in a software sales department. How do
> you make more business in software? By telling potential customers how
> good your software fulfills their needs? Too much effort! Simply check
> whether thay all paid their licence fees.


Well, that's what I'd call a pretty well solution. Of course, mainly
mainstream rightholders will profit from such a system. But others will
also do. And we should give our best, to find a good balance between
mainstream and "high" culture. But don't forget, that it's the
mainstream lawyers, that are sending waves of lawyers against p2p-users.

Christian