Re: Stallman calls for an end to file sharing war

[Alan Mackenzie]

In gnu.misc.discuss Tim Smith <reply_in_group@mouse-potato.com> wrote:
> In article <4CA6FF9F.7DFBC770@web.de>,
> Alexander Terekhov <terekhov@web.de> wrote:

>> Tim Smith wrote:
>> [...]
>> > That leaves the second approach--have the government fund music, and
>> > make copying free and legal (but probably tracked, so they can determine
>> > how to allocate funds to artists). It's time to give it a try.

>> Yeah... welcome back to the Soviet Union. I think in the North Korea
>> they still do it that way... never heard that North Korea is a paradise
>> for artists...

> Can you suggest a third alternative (that is economically sound)?

How about approach 2A: allow free copying of music and films, but instead
of paying artists out of taxes, they get paid by a levy on high speed
internet lines.  A levy of, say $50 a year, or $100 a year could provide
handsome income to musicians and film-makers.  There are obviously
difficult practical issues to sort out, but given how badly copyright now
misworks the levy would probably work better.

-- 
Alan Mackenzie (Nuremberg, Germany).