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Flat fees = free use?    [ News ]

Interesting article on El Reg on the online music industry and some futurism-style blather from Jim Griffin of Cherry Lane Digital.   Not sure if I agree with everything that he says, and most of the blather is predicated on a flat-fees-are-good-for-everyone assumption (hmm, wonder why telcos still charge for long-distance calls), but makes for a fresh perspective from an ex-industry-insider.

I do agree that flat fees are generally far more palatable to consumers than per-use charges.   $20/month internet dialup fees are one example, the success of DSL/cable inet rollouts vs ISDN (It Still Does Nothing) is another, but there's enough bass-ackward-minded companies out there with profits and shareholder value to protect that I don't see some glorious digital-rights revolution happening anytime soon.   If anything, a darker, less brilliant future seems to await us in that arena.