Peer-to-peer music sharing with profit but without copy protection

Digital music publishers try to restrict the usage of their products by their customers in order to prevent unlicensed distribution. On the other hand, consumers ignore these restrictions and share digital music for free (Gnutella). Music producers and music consumers treat one another as enemies with conflicting interests. In our approach we bring consumers and producers of music back together to a common interest. Music publishers and authors support their customers to re-distribute their products in that they pay for any re-distributed song a small percentage on commission. Customers have a choice to pay for a received copy or to use it freely. If they use it for free, they will get no commission on re-distribution. If they pay, they will become licensed re-distributors automatically. This paper describes a friendly peer-to-peer music-sharing system (the potato system), which enables unknown authors to distribute their music to many new potential customers.