It seemed appropriate to start this commentary with a discussion of the running debate between fee vs free. It’s not worth getting dragged into a discussion of which is better, or even what “free” is, though I recognize that for some people these things are important. I’ve noticed that there is a pattern, though, and people break out into their groups pretty fast:
1. Companies that have content, and particularly those that have a traditional business model, are nearly rabid in their defense of copyright at any cost…the labels are a good example, and they managed to ram through the DMCA
2. Those who think that there should be as free a flow of information as possible. We’re all pretty familiar with this one, and for some reason the media likes to take this viewpoint. There are many orgs like the eff, and this one
3. There seems to be a third paradigm emerging gradually over time….especially since the dot-com collapse…which is the “fee advocacy” movement. The end of free is a good example and there are now consultants that are seem to be working quietly in this area. Some journalists seem to get it.
One thing that’s interesting is that it’s been sometimes framed as a “media company versus technology company” battle. One CATO conference I went to recently in Palo Alto posed it this way, for dramatic tension I guess. (they don’t seem to have the past events linked but I did find this) The fact is that DRM companies (which are technology companies to be sure) have had this 3rd viewpoint for a while. It’s kind of the neutral stance, so it’s not exciting. But like many things that are not exciting in by being either evil or principled, this way is the way that will work in the long run.