4 ms·
How much should public funding be a taint to things it buys? You can easily get to a point where public funding can’t buy anything and can only be used to prod
by colechristensen 4y ago
How much should public funding be a taint to things it buys?
You can easily get to a point where public funding can’t buy anything and can only be used to produce things directly.
- thaumasiotes 4y ago> How much should public funding be a taint to things it buys? For higher education the rule is 100%, even when the funding isn't supposed to be buying anything in particular, or going to the organization which becomes attainted.
- Retric 4y agoIt's not aboung tainting what it buys, it’s about what it can pay for without owning. I have no issue with a nonprofit buying buildings, paying employees, or paying consultants market rates to design a logo it owns. You can value such transactions to verify people arn’t extracting money from a nonprofit this way. However when it comes to creating IP that they don’t own it gets tricky because the IP owner also benefits from the exposure of being on public TV and can then turn that into toy sales etc. On the other hand if the IP flops then public TV has taken all the risk. In many other contexts having a nonprofit take in the risk while a for profit sees the profit is illigal. Just imagine doing this with startups rather than childrens TV shows.
- robertlagrant 4y agoThe public isn't taking all the risk. The creator accepts a lower fee in exchange for the IP rights, commensurate to the future value of any spinoffs/merchandise, etc.
- Retric 4y agoTo be clear, Sesame Workshop is also a nonprofit so the risk is not so great. However, how do you guarantee that public television or other none profit is actually getting a discount in such deals?
- robertlagrant 4y agoI don't. That's their job!
- Retric 4y agoNot just their job, it can also be a requirement to qualify as a nonprofit which is my point.
- MichaelZuo 4y agoThis seems to be an argument for congress to change laws relating to non-profits? Why are you bringing it up in the context of PBS negotiating licenses of Sesame Street? PBS doesn't control congress, it's the other way around!
- Retric 4y agoBy can, I mean it already is a requirement under various existing rules in specific situations. I don’t know the degree to which it applies in this specific situation.
- MichaelZuo 4y agoCan you link or specify where this law is? Because I haven't heard of any that mandates such a requirement.