Music Industry Proposes a Piracy Surcharge on ISPs
The music industry is seriously proposing that ISPs levy a copyright surcharge to compensate artists for tunes traded online. The idea isn’t new, but it is finally gaining traction. Consultant Jim Griffin, the plan’s chief cheerleader, will discuss the idea at SXSW on Friday.
(Via Wired News)

We have discussed this here and here and here and here.

As you know, if you read this journal, I have come to the conclusion that an ISP tax makes a lot of sense. Depending on how this ISP tax is structured music could be free. Free as the Air we breath. Some friends have argued that if music is free how will its value be perceived. That would certainly merit study in terms of Cultural Evolution. Do we value air less because it is free? Sometimes I get the sense that life is one giant experiment. At the sharp edge of this experiment is advancing, or maybe it’s better to say contributing to, the genetic and cultural evolution in some form. At the very blunt edge is comfort, wealth or fame, which become more meaningless as we get older.

Anyway, I would find it very interesting for music to become free to download and free to listen to and free to carry around. What will happen? Already kids in every part of the world can hear what kind of music they make over here and over there – if they can afford it… What happens if any child can listen to any music from anywhere, because it is free – as long as somebody pays the ISP bill, of course. How will that change cultural evolution?