This is kind of interesting http://www.openculture.org/About/index.html Its a sort of public patron system I guess. "OpenCulture is a new way to make books and music freely available online, while making sure that artists get fairly compensated. Using the Internet to let sponsors pool their resources, we purchase the right to enjoy and redistribute works of art on behalf of the public. " "With your help, we will build a world-class Digital Free Library of books and music which can be freely downloaded and shared by anyone, anywhere. With your help, we will buy the rights to make the best new music and writing available to everyone, everywhere. "
