Version 1.1 of the definition has been released. Please help updating it, contribute translations, and help us with the design of logos and buttons to identify free cultural works and licenses!
Alternative business models
Most (though not all) business models in Western society are based on some form of intellectual property, of which copyright, trademarks and patents are primary examples. New kinds of business models which let authors effectively make a profit out of free content would arguably lead to a dramatic increase in free content creation.
Some of those models are available, and used to some extent, right now. Others can be proposed and maybe, some day, implemented.
One such model is that authors provide some kind of service, and generate content related to their professional activities as an aside. For instance, a musician can earn money from concerts, a software engineer can earn it from mantainance and user suppport, a scientist from teaching and so on.
Other models try to pay for content creation in a more direct way: