Our venue wants to use our account on our FTP site to let users download the concert they just went to, for a price. We are shopping around for sites like Box.net which would allow us to do this. However, Box.net won't let us limit the number of downloads per user (there is only an option to expire the download). Does anyone out there know of an FTP or website which would limit downloads to one-per-user??
Digidesign had exactly the setup you propose... and on the "A" circuit it's mostly not happening for several reasons: copyright clearance, venue union contracts (commercial use/broadcast/recording clauses), merchandising commission payments... At any rate, the Digi scheme sent video and stem audio to a local server, which streamed the content to a remote recording/editing facility that worked with the source material in near-real time. When the punters got home, the download was ready. Who provided the final distribution service and its management is not known to me. Sheldon? Scovi?
I think your venue managers need to consult with lawyers that specialize in these issues and see if they're getting into territory that will put them on the receiving end of a lawsuit or 2. There is far more to this than simply uploading a performance recording to a server.
Have fun, don't get named as an accessory in a suit...
Tim Mc
ps. Your venue does not own the rights to use the performance in any way. Contractually, the artist may not have the rights, either. I think they're asking for big trouble here.
