On the Price of Consumer Intellectual Property

Consumer IP is now a non-rivalous and non-excludable good.  I think this implies a reduction in supply unless we change the funding model from a private pay per use to a more socialised funding method.

( Cut for length - if longish discussions on the economics of IP are not your thing look away now. )

We’re just going to have to accept that if we want new content enough to pay for it we have to be prepared for others to enjoy it for free. What remains is the old adage that he who pays the piper calls the tune.