A New Paradigm for Content Producers

Abstract

The production, distribution, and consump- tion of information goods have endured numerous challenges over the years. Most recently, the Internet and digital consumer technologies have severely disrupted estab- lished intellectual-property regimes, enabling the near costless reproduction and distribution of information commodities. In addition, so- phisticated tools have enabled new collabora- tive spaces (such as blogs, social websites, and so forth) for media production and distribution, posing new challenges to traditional creator- producer􏰀consumer paradigms. This article analyzes the present situation’s main technological characteristics, its eco- nomic implications, and the industry’s response—and outlines a possible solution to the problems.