Editing Threshold pledge system (section)

==History==
The Street Performer Protocol is a natural extension of the much older idea of funding the production of written or creative works through agreements between groups of potential readers or users.{{Citation needed|date=May 2012}}

The first illustrated edition of [[John Milton]]'s ''[[Paradise Lost]]'' was published under a subscription system;<ref>{{cite journal|last=Shawcross|first=John T.|title=The First Illustrations for Paradise Lost|journal=Milton Quarterly|date=May 1975|volume=9|issue=2|pages=43–46|doi=10.1111/j.1094-348X.1975.tb00136.x}}</ref> and Mozart and Beethoven, among other composers, used subscriptions to premiere concerts and first print editions of their works. Unlike today's meaning of ''[[subscription]]'', this meant that a fixed number of people had to sign up and pay some amount before the concert could take place or the printing press started.

<blockquote>These three (piano) concertos K413-415 ... formed an important milestone in his career, being the first in the series of great concertos that he wrote for Vienna, and the first to be published in a printed edition. Initially, however, he followed the usual practice of making them available in manuscript copies. Mozart advertised for subscribers in January 1783: "These three concertos, which can be performed with full orchestra including wind instruments, or only a quattro, that is with 2 violins, 1 viola and violoncello, will be available at the beginning of April to those who have subscribed for them (beautifully copied, and supervised by the composer himself)." Six months later, Mozart complained that it was taking a long time to secure enough subscribers. This was despite the fact that he had meanwhile scored a great success on two fronts:...<ref>Robert Philip. <!--http://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/notes/67358.html-->[http://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/al.asp?al=CDH55333&f=Mozart:%20Piano%20Concertos%2011 Sleeve Notes - ''Mozart: Piano Concertos 11 12 & 13; Susan Tomes (piano), The Gaudier Ensemble'']. [[Hyperion Records]], ''Helios'' (2004).</ref></blockquote>

However, there are a number of differences between this traditional model and the SPP. The most important difference is that traditionally, the subscribers would be among the first to get access and would do so with the understanding that the work would likely always be a "rare" good; thus, there was some status in owning a copy, as well as the prestige of being among the patrons.{{Citation needed|date=May 2009}} Additionally, subscriptions were generally sold at a set price,{{Citation needed|date=May 2009}} but some wealthy subscribers may have given more in order to be a patron. In the modern Street Performer Protocol, each funder chooses the amount they want to pay, and the work is released to the public and freely reproduced.

In 1970, [[Stephen Breyer]] argued for the importance of this model in "[[The Uneasy Case for Copyright]]".<ref>[[Stephen Breyer]]. [[The Uneasy Case for Copyright|"The Uneasy Case for Copyright: A Study of Copyright in Books, Photocopies and Computer Programs"]], [http://www.harvardlawreview.org ''Harvard Law Review''] 84(2) 1970.</ref>

The Street Performer Protocol was successfully used to release the source code and brand name of the [[Blender (program)|Blender]] 3D animation program. After [[Not a Number Technologies|NaN Technologies BV]] went bankrupt in 2002, the copyright and trademark rights to Blender went to the newly created NaN Holding BV. The newly created [[Blender Foundation]] campaigned for donations to obtain the right to release the software as [[free software|free]] and [[open source software|open source]] under the [[GNU General Public License]]. NaN Holding BV set the price tag at 100,000 [[euros]]. More than 1,300 users became members and donated more than 50 euros each, in addition to anonymous users, non-membership individual donations and companies. On October 13, 2002, Blender was released on the Internet as [[free software]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.blender.org/blenderorg/blender-foundation/history/ |title=Blender.org history|location=Amsterdam|date=July 2009}}</ref>

Variations of the SPP include the [http://logarithmic.net/pfh/rspp Rational Street Performer Protocol] and the [http://firstmonday.org/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/865/774 Wall Street Performer Protocol].