Extracted from Techdirt

Interesting proposal by someone actually working within the content industry. Breinersdorfer suggests a license which would allow for authorised copies of films to be freely available on online platforms… as long the proceeds are shared with the content creators.

As soon as the usual terms of protection for theatrical release after the premiere [of a film] have expired, everyone would be entitled to offer copies on the Internet — non-exclusively. This would apply to classic films as well as to new releases. The collecting societies for copyright and related rights involved in a film and its screenplay could create the legal and technical framework for a “one-stop shop”, where the license can be obtained and settled in a second by clicking online.

The licensee would then decide how to organize and finance the offering. it could very soon be possible for someone to open a portal where you can watch all German comedies of the silent era up to “Kokowääh 2” as free streaming or a download, funded by advertising or “premium” accounts for the HD version. Another film connoisseur might make a portal with all the films of Oscar winners in the category “Best Supporting Actress”, and a third might be devoted to film noir, with the most comprehensive accompanying material, including Chinese subtitles. Anyone who wants to can combine advertising revenue with subscriptions or on-demand billing. An open market of freely-available films could arise against which the online film thieves would have a weak hand because their copies are often of lousy quality.