Subsidising paid digital content: cultural policy, French style

Ars Technica notes that:

France has decided to try something… novel. The country will attempt to prop up the digital music industry by subsidizing legal music consumption by young people. Under the initiative, citizens between 12 and 25 years old will be able to purchase a “carte musique”—a prepaid card  usable on subscription-based music websites. The card will come with €50 worth of credit, but customers only have to pay €25. The rest will be paid by the French government.

It is interesting to see a national government try a subsidy where out-and-out regulation has failed. But will it work?

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