Tipping - a method for optimizing compensation for intellectual property.

In recent months, the problem of how to pay for the use of intellectual property when the property is freely distributed over the Internet has received a great deal of attention, both in the media and in the courts.

The author proposes a tried-and-tested method for providing compensation -- the offering and acceptance of tips -- and provides an example of a successful internet business using this model.

The author's experience suggests that tipping is a viable economic model for recompensing a service.