Why are business models for open content a problem? The brief answer is:
It’s a “public good problem”. Who is going to finance the creation of open content, if everyone can use it once it’s created? There are several approaches to financing Open Content.
The Street Performer Protocol One popular idea is the
Street Performer Protocol, illustrated in an article by John Kelsey and Bruce Schneier.Real-life example:
The business model proposed by Kelsey and Schneier is being put into practice, i.e. by OpenCulture.org
Tipping Protocols Another solution could lie in “tipping”. Voluntary
contributions, enforced by cultural norms rather than legal threats. For further information on tipping:
Tipping - a method for optimizing compensation for intellectual
property by Robert WoodheadBusking as a Form of Online Compensation by Jeff ColemanThe Tipster Protocol Voluntary Payments by Fred Hapgood
Real-life examples
tipjar.com
selfpromotion.com
Decentralized Tipping
The Potlatch Protocol: a decentralized architecture for
gift economies by J. Carrico
Further information related to open content business models
Content is a pure public good. By Dan Kohn.
Countless Exchanges in the Gift Economy: Toward a New Understanding of Transactions The Open Source Case for business The Open Source Case for Customers 
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