Tobias Regner, Javier Barria, Jeremy Pitt and Brendan Neville

The realm of digital media is undergoing fundamental changes as it moves
from mass media to an era of mass participation. This emergence of content
created by the masses requires to re-consider the conventional intellectual
property rights framework. Free content and protected content co-exist (in the
Dark/Light Web).
We propose an alternative environment for the governance of digital content.
It incorporates psychological aspects into its economics framework. Multiagent
systems play an important role in order to create an infrastructure that
makes the voluntary-based environment sustainable.
We propose a platform based on an open contracts design that encourages
voluntary payments. Peer-based reputation and recommendation
mechanisms as well as socio-emotive instruments facilitate norm-adherence
in this online environment. They leverage the efficiency of alternative
voluntary payment models based on fairness concerns and reciprocity.
The envisioned platform matches Dark Web content to consumers who value
it highly, provides Dark Web content creators with a basic reward for their
work and reduces the infringement of protected content in the Dark Web.

Governance of Digital Content in the Era of Mass Participation