Since audio recorders became generally available in the 1960s, we have been able to copy music. In response, the German lawmaker invented the private copying exception, allowing it subject to payment of a levy for devices and media. This is only one example of how copyright as a "social contract" between authors and the general public mediates the accessibility of cultural creations with a remuneration system. Thanks to the Internet, we can today not only copy music but also distribute it - and all other existing cultural goods – worldwide. Copyright has to be adapted to these new circumstances. Also here, the answer is to allow it while at the same time ensuring a fair reward to creators. In his talk, Volker Grassmuck discusses the culture flatrate as a component of a new digital social contract.
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