Hollywood 2.0

Image from muktware.com

YC has declared war on Hollywood.....sweet.

If ever there was an industry ripe for disruption, it is the media content industry. Don't get me wrong, disruption is underway, as clearly evidenced by the industry's spastic power grabs and hysterical fits. They know their days are numbered, and they just want it to go back to the way it was, before the VCR.

Ironically, the solution is simple. We don't even need copyright reform to fix it. A new licence for media content needs to be developed (or may already exist) that allows exclusive use for say, 10 years, with clear provisions for allowing the remix culture, broad fair use, and reverts to a creative commons licence after a fixed period. Other ideas, to reduce piracy issues would be concurrent free release licence at a lower resolution or frame rate, so that "cam's" would be irrelevant, or other similar limited free release provisions.

Make the licence as convenient as possible for content users, and provide a simple, inbuilt mechanism for upgrading the free content to full versions for a reasonable price.

With a good shot of investment capital, start alternative recording and film houses that release their works under these licences. Leverage technology and lean principals to reduce the cost and fixed overhead, and make sure that the artists are compensated better and retain more rights than in traditional models.

Distribute through traditional (theaters) and digital channels like Netflix, iTunes, and similar paid content services. Provide promotional services to aid fledgling stars.

You get the picture: Use 2.0 paradigms, a reasonable licence, and treat creators well. Lower the barrier to entry, choose a role of highway builder rather than gatekeeper for content. By treating the producers and consumers of media like human beings, and creating channels rather than barriers, entertainment 2.0 will prevail.

Viva la evolution!