On or about 7:03 AM -0400 8/18/00, Arnold G. Reinhold wrote:
>I agree that making it easy is essential. But I still do not think
>attaching all the info to the content is needed to make things easy.
>First of all, there is no need to have the servers' keys attached.
There are no keys attached to the file; maybe you misread the specification.
>At most you need the artist's public key or key fingerprint.
The reason we attach a signature to the file is to make it impossible
for a thief to deny that he was the one who posted the counterfeit
file, since it's got his signature on it.
>When the client software contacts the server, it can get a copy of
>the server's key signed by the artist.
This is actually how Tipster works already. The public key is not on
the file, just a URL and signature for each server chosen by the
artist to represent him.
See http://tipster.weblogs.com/tipster/ for the technical details.
>That lets artists add servers after the content has been posted.
>Each artist's signature on the server key could also have an
>expiration date to allow artists to drop a server, say for non
>payment. You can't do that if the server keys are in the content.
Tipster allows the artist to revoke any given key with a revokation
certificate. By allowing the artist to encode multiple URL/signature
pairs onto the file, they can set up multiple, redundant revenue
streams, and you encourage competition among service providers. The
ability to revoke individual server keys means that the artist can
cut off any service provider for any reason without interrupting the
revenue stream.
Of course, revokation certs will have to be kept in a central
location, but that can be arranged.
>Under your scheme, each user will need a payment client or an MP3
>player that includes a payment feature. It would make more sense to
>have just the artist's URL included with the content and create a
>protocol to let the payment client download a list of servers from
>the artist's site.
If you're going to include a URL with the content, you need something
which will parse the file and read that URL. And if you're writing
new code anyway, why not put in some crypto to give the fan some
feeling of security (that they're paying the right person). As a
bonus we end up empowering the musicians to an unprecedented degree.
>My disagreement here is over the best way to effect change. There is
>significant inertia in the recording industry. New artists still
>dream of signing a record contract.
That's because in the current system they have effectively no other
way to make money from their music. A robust voluntary payments
system at least gives them another choice, one where they are in
control of their own destiny (pronounced "revenue stream").
>Change is coming and I agree that an effective voluntary payment
>mechanism could speed change, but it is a form of circular reasoning
>to make that change a condition for introducing the payment system.
>The likelihood of a new payment model succeeding must be judged on
>things as they are now, not as they will be once the payment system
>is in place.
Although the RIAA would like you to believe it, the music industry is
not a monolithic entity. The five (soon four) major labels control a
huge proportion of what gets radio play and record store bin space,
yes, but the major labels only represent a minority of the total
musicians out there.
As Courtney Love pointed out, "In a society of over 300 million
people, only 30 new artists a year sell a million records. By any
measure, that's a huge failure."
(http://www.salon.com/tech/feature/2000/06/14/love/index.html)
There are thousands of independent artists operating beneath the
major labels' radar. They will never get major label contracts, they
will never get their video on MTV or their CD into Tower Records and
you and I will never get a chance to hear their work. There are the
people who are already benefiting from 'net music distribution, and
these are the people who will be attracted to Tipster. Some of them
have already emailed me or posted to the discussion group at the
Tipster site to express their support.
Anyway, Tipster is fully backwards compatible. It can start small
and coexist with the existing big-label system for as long as there
are still artists who would prefer to sign with a big label.
>>http://tipster.weblogs.com/discuss/msgReader$31
>
>In the above link you say: "Its a good bet that it will be the
>independent (aka small) bands which first adopt Tipster (or whatever
>the inevitable voluntary protocol turns out to be, even if it's not
>Tipster). The ones with no existing recording contract to slow them
>down will be quickest to move to the new model. Whatever success
>they have will drive the rest of the industry ..."
>
>Depending on new artists, as you propose, is a very slow and risky
>way to introduce a new recorded music payment model. Christine Lavin
>once lamented "you can make hundreds of dollars as a folk singer." I
>think new, unknown artists will be lucky to make even that much in
>voluntary payments. The record companies will cite the trickle of
>tip money to induce new artists to sign with them.
We disagree on this. Of course, there's only one way to find out... ;-)
>>>The recording industry can be expected to try to shut down any
>>>voluntary payment system, so careful legal design is more of an
>>>issue IMHO than cryptographic protocols. A reputable bank as
>>>escrow holder and CPA firm should provide enough trust.
>>
>>The recording industry has no reason to shut down a voluntary
>>payment system, since their music won't be a part of it until they
>>decide they're missing out on revenues.
>>
>
>The recording industry is not that stupid. They can see the threat
>almost as clearly as you can. Napster woke them up and have plenty
>of lawyers. Expect any voluntary payment system to be sued.
Please. On what grounds, counselor?
(While I enjoy arguing these philosophical and economic points, these
lists (esp. [EMAIL PROTECTED]) probably aren't the best place for
it. I invite you, and anyone else who's interested in these issues,
to http://tipster.weblogs.com where we have a discussion group
intended for just this sort of debate.)
-Jeff
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