The value of a digital idea vs. the digital value of an idea

This first official encounter was among the highlights of the C’n’B 2011: the representatives of the Content Allianz and the Digitale Gesellschaft e.V., Dieter Gorny and Andreas Gebhard, entertained the panel attendants and discussed some of the issues crucial for artists, users, and rights holders which are currently on the hot list of the aforementioned groups.

Andreas Gebhard is the managing director of newthinking communications GmbH and newthinking store GmbH. Since 2007, he organises the re:publica in Berlin, a conference focussing on current digital topics. He is co-founder of the association Digitale Gesellschaft e.V. (est. 2011) which is committed to „an effective representation of interests for digital civil and consumer rights“, and also wants to „maintain an open and free digital society and be involved in shaping it“.

The Content Allianz consists of representatives of public and private radio broadcasters, the music industry, the GEMA, the book-selling trade, and organisations of the film industry who think current net politics are too much technically and economically driven and in need of a content-based focus, and who want to enforce common core objectives.
Being the national chairman of the Bundesverband Musikindustrie e.V. (national association of the music industry) and chairman of the board of the Filmstiftung NRW, Dieter Gorny is the perfect representative to discuss interests and core topics of the alliance.

The essential conflict between both parties gets obvious very soon: the Digitale Gesellschaft e.V. emphasises the personal freedom and development of the creative user, considers German copyright law backward and the opinions of the Content Allianz old-fashioned, whereas the Content Allianz focuses on the right of the originator to his idea and the protection of this right.

2010LAB.tv followed the discussion and questioned both speakers about their core theses.