All Beer Is Free For A Demanding PomeranianThe Seattle Post-Intelligencer is up for sale and many say there will be no buyers. CD sales are in a tailspin and major labels have all but been proclaimed dead. But, despite the dire state of the industry, through a mix of technology and law, music as digital content is adapting to the Internet. A similar effort may provide news reporting a sustainable business model as well. Why am I so optimistic? It’s simple: with such an overwhelming demand for media such as news and music, there will always be money to be made. There just might not be as much, and it’s certainly going to be made differently.Our hunger for knowledge, entertainment and connectivity with others drives the initiative for better tools to obtain these things. The prospect of wealth has propelled the growth of Internet technology from the start. Ever heard the line, “Don’t you wish you bought Google stock early on?” Of course I do, but I didn’t, and regardless, many benefit from their search product. Technological progress will accommodate the need to compensate content producers for the same reason – there’s money to be made.

Did you ever hear the story about the band called FREE BEER? The ideawas to have posters promoting shows that read – FREE BEER – and thatpronouncement / promise would pull people to the show. (Of course,there would be no free beer and some potential patrons would turn awayin anger at being duped.)The idea of the free beer lure isanalogous of the music file sharing controversy. For-profit companies likeNapster wanted to be the portal for massive free music swapping.Imagine patrons at a tavern bringing beers in to swap with each other.But what happens when the bottles run dry? Would the patrons leaveand return with more free brew? And where did they get it from: themiracle beer spring frothing with tasty suds? No, beer costs money andtakes effort to produce!Music, news and images are intellectual property. And like any property, there are laws thatprotect ownership. In the on-going file sharing controversy, the courseof law has followed the rights of the property owner. (Blame the judgesand not the bass player for this reality!)This has resulted inmix of technological and statutory measures that hold tighter reigns oncontent. For example, the music industry is working with ISPs to keepcontrol of content transmitted over the web. Once an unauthorizedfile-sharer is identified on a network, they’re given a cease anddesist warning that could lead to a lawsuit. As this technology /practice develops, it could control more information than just music -news content providers take notice.The spark of creativityignites attention. Writers, musicians, artists and other independentswith something compelling to offer can also benefit as they controltheir own information. They can also join collective efforts to makesure they’re compensated.Venture capital is synonymous with theinformation revolution. It’s only a matter of time until someoneinvents a way for journalists to get paid for quality reporting andinstitutions like the Seattle Post-Intelligencer survive.