Let's talk about compulsory arts & entertainment tax

Hi all,

I have been discussing in depth this issue for a bit now and I wanted to create a blog to continue this discussion in-depth in one place that we can all keep tabs on all aspects of the discussion.

The discussion is a 'compulsory arts and entertainment tax' for digital media, or better thought of as a 'content usage fee'. This is a very complex and difficult subject that will need to be broken down into many small pieces to have a complete and authoritative decree and direction. But let's start off with my take on how this should work, on a high-level, Utopian concept:

There are many folks in various places working on this idea over the course of this year and I want to know what you all think about this. It is of course a model for internet based stuff and not tv, cable, theater, etc:

The idea is that Internet Service Providers would charge a compulsory tax for the arts (including arts, entertainment and other cultural digital media files). And by doing so, all file downloading and streaming media would be already be paid for, and available instantly, without having to deal with DRM or a credit card to everyone.

Basically, a pile of cash from all internet users collectively goes in the pot and then 1:1 tracking of every download and streaming performance that would be paid out transparently. Tracking, reporting and accounting all paid for from the pot and then the entire remainder paid out as 1:1 for all music, whether rock, jazz, background instrumental, feature performance, whatever. This of course would do away with the PRO concept of collecting 1:1 from the broadcasters and venues and then having the choice of who to pay how much based on surveys and politics. But it would be a new breath of life to the industry, and artists would get paid for their performance
or mechanical, without politics or guesstimations as to who gets paid what.

Summary:

All internet users contribute to the tax. (Of course that is complex and is a whole discussion in itself on how to accomplish this)

Monies pay for a non-commercial/non-profit or possibly governmental agency to:

1. track all downloads and performances

2. create seamless reporting for all parties concerned

3. create security to keep it from being compromised

4. pay out to the artists, representatives, publishers, etc, exact and seamless amounts of money based 1:1 on the tracking

The money (after paying for the organization to do all of those tasks, and not for anything else, like getting involved in promotions or placements or any kind of business or politics) then gets split up and paid (as in step 4) to the artists, or official representatives of the artist, and publishers, etc all parties included. But the money gets paid on real, true, honest 1:1 based on amount of downloads/streaming performances/purchases, and not what the PROs do today

this is obviously a very high level concept, but what do you think?