I just posted this idea on Hacker News. Let’s see if there’s any interest (my karma is pretty low, I don’t think it gets seen by a lot of people…). Here’s the post:

Summary:

* Crowdfunding for GPL/Creative Commons projects

* Free service, non-profit entity

* Technical help needed

Sparked by the copyright discussion on thread http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3303796 I thought we should properly experiment in crowdfunding of open source and free projects, especially in arts but all creative projects (including software) aimed at creating freely distributable results where the creator still gets paid.

Crowdfunding is big, but IPR ambiguity hovers over the model in many cases. Sites like Kickstarter also take a notable cut (as is their right, of course) from the donations and pledges.

I want to create a crowdfunding site that is 100% free for project creators and pledgers. By listing a project on the site, you will also agree that everything produced in that project will be released under GPL or suitable Creative Commons license level. Let’s discuss a model and license that makes sense.

I need help in creating this service. I am happy to shell out for hosting, any design needs & legal help as required, though in the spirit of the project maybe we can enlist help for those areas as well. I have a long experience in product management and product marketing from corporations and startups alike.

The service itself should be non-profit, and only accept donations (and maybe sponsors – discuss?) to cover costs.

Also discuss if you think the idea is stupid / redundant / against your political views.

First obvious questions:

Q1. Kickstarter et al. don’t take that big a cut and already have an established audience. Why not just use them?

A1. Good point. However, they still take something. Listing an open source project where the budget includes funding platform fees always feels a bit silly.  Making it 100% free (payment processing may be an issue) can encourage creatives to list their projects, feeling that everyone is an equal partner. They list the project with us, and we are not taking a cut. The pledgers know their money goes directly into the project.

There is Elveos.org that tries to do this for OSS, but it doesn’t look like it’s going anywhere.

Q2. What kinds of projects would this be used for?

A2. Anything where the end result and the aggregate results of the project are released for free per the selected license.

• Books & publications
• Music
• Videos, documentaries
• Fine arts
• OS Software projects
• Free web services
• Research projects

Thoughts about the mechanism

- Pledge system, most likely. Only after enough pledges are in, the project will happen.

- There should be a blind reserve for the project. This is the pledge threshold, and it is the level at which the project creator prices their work. The project does not bindingly kick off until the reserve has been met. After the blind reserve has been met, the pledgers and future pledgers will be informed that the project will happen, though they can still contribute to the project. Creators can choose not to have a reserve.

- Reporting of the project. There should be a very accessible and easy-to-update project reporting feed.

- What’s in it for the artists? They work hard and get little if their work breaks big? If people are willing to donate, there is always the possibility of some kind of upsell. Let’s remain open to the possibilities and see if we can invent new models of supporting artists that do not involve IPR.

Any thoughts about this? Want to help? Let me know.

Related articles

• Crowdfunding: The Grassroots Investment Revolution [Video] (psfk.com)
• Crowdfunded journalism + crowdsourced expertise = ? (boingboing.net)
• Crowdfunding Research (strategyprofs.wordpress.com)
• How Scott Berkun crowdfunded and self-published his latest book (rossdawsonblog.com)
• Infographic: The Crowdfunding Landscape (readwriteweb.com)