EFF announces A Better Way Forward for the RIAA & P2P

**kazaaman** · 01-05-2007, 08:39 PM

A Better Way Forward:

Voluntary Collective Licensing of Music File Sharing

The current battles surrounding peer-to-peer file sharing are a losing proposition for everyone. The record labels continue to face lackluster sales, while the tens of millions of American file sharers—American music fans—are made to feel like criminals. Every day the collateral damage mounts—privacy at risk, innovation stymied, economic growth suppressed, and a few unlucky individuals singled out for legal action by the recording industry. And the litigation campaign against music fans has not put a penny into the pockets of artists.

We need a better way forward

The Proposal: Voluntary Collective Licensing

EFF has spent the past year evaluating alternatives that get artists paid while making file sharing legal. One solution has emerged as the favorite: voluntary collective licensing.

The concept is simple: the music industry forms a collecting society, which then offers file-sharing music fans the opportunity to "get legit" in exchange for a reasonable regular payment, say $5 per month. So long as they pay, the fans are free to keep doing what they are going to do anyway—share the music they love using whatever software they like on whatever computer platform they prefer—without fear of lawsuits. The money collected gets divided among rights-holders based on the popularity of their music.

In exchange, file-sharing music fans will be free to download whatever they like, using whatever software works best for them. The more people share, the more money goes to rights-holders. The more competition in applications, the more rapid the innovation and improvement. The more freedom to fans to publish what they care about, the deeper the catalog.

Source: http://www.eff.org/share/?f=collective_lic_wp.html

Homepage: EFF

Download Link: English PDF

**gamer4eva** · 01-05-2007, 09:48 PM

Now thats what i am talking about.

A great way forward for all music lovers. You can come out of hiding now people!!!

**Broken** · 01-06-2007, 05:33 AM

It'll never happen.
The music industry is compeletely closed minded.

**RealitY** · 01-06-2007, 08:21 AM

Originally Posted by REALITY

There ARE other ways for the artist to get PAID
http://www.eff.org/share/compensation.php

There ARE simple legal solutions
http://www.eff.org/share/legal.php

FINALLY AND MOST OF ALL...
HERE IS WHERE YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE
http://www.eff.org/share/petition/
It doesn't get easier than this to take part and help put this to an end.

Flashback to 07-2003 and still waiting...

**kazaaman** · 01-07-2007, 02:43 AM

Yea, I really hope the music industry considers this. I mean what does either side have to loose except trouble and wasted time/effort?

**Hairbautt** · 01-07-2007, 03:17 AM

Originally Posted by kazaaman

what does either side have to loose except trouble and wasted time/effort?

Some people really value that, though.

**Damnatory** · 01-07-2007, 10:28 PM

For a lot of reasons this wouldn't work, but the largest problem I foresee is the fact that if you legalize mp3 filesharing for $5 a month on any platform you choose, it will drive their biggest source of income out of business: itunes.

Itunes currently makes something like .99 cents a song, and wouldn't be able to survive if people knew it was legal at $5 to take as much as they want.

The RIAA just warmed up to the itunes sort of business and are reaping a lot of money from it. I think we all know just how slow the RIAA is to change.

Although I would have to say, I would be more than willing to pay $5 a month to subside that constant fear of being caught.

**Fulanito** · 01-07-2007, 10:42 PM

this is a good idea but maybe the RIAA as DAmnatory said will not accept this if other companies are affected, like itunes but we'll see what they say about this and hope for one solution...

**kazaaman** · 01-08-2007, 12:28 AM

I mean iTunes can also compete by (dare I say it) lowering their prices! But yes, this would seriously affect companies like iTunes, but I mean if you think about it. Most/All the filesharers I know would gladly pay up $60 a year to be worry free and download as much as they want. This compared to only a few (compared to the overall picture) of the general public who use iTunes.