Lately, there has been a desire by the P2P networks to become another viable method for selling music online. In a departure from their roots, sharing for free, the networks have turned to "Weed" as a method of weaning us off the popular, yet illegal, current system of sharing.
In case you haven't heard, Weed is a DRM system that allows downloaders to play any track three times. After that, you have to "pay the man" with PayPal or the track stops working. The parallel between drug use and this DRM is kind of funny.
You can even share your weed, then if the new listener likes the song, the new person pays the 50c to a dollar charge to keep the track working. But that isn't all, 20 per cent of the proceeds go to the person who paid before. Previous sharers get ten per cent and five per cent and so on. Artists will get 50 per cent of the sale price and Weed developer Shared Media Licensing gets the remaining 15 per cent. Don't worry, be happy.
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The legal versions are distribute in WMA format wrapped within the Weed DRM system. This isn"t the first time someone has come up with a way to make P2P file-sharing legal and to make it pay, but it"s clearly an important step in the right direction. . |
You can wander over to the Register and read the whole story there. Peace brothers. Thanks for the story GristyMcFisty, it's an interesting one. What is everyones feelings about this alternative model for P2P? Will it work, can it become a viable means of music distribution? Is PayPal going to be a good way to pass the money around?
Can we all quit our jobs and start making a living from Weed?
Source: The Register
