Mochila syndication may include ads

So far, there's no indication a Canadian magazine group has signed up with the fledgling syndication service Mochila, but it seems likely that one will, sooner rather than later. It has an irresistible allure: the service is free; magazines (and newspapers and other media) can buy content a la carte; or they can accept advertising attached to the content, get the content for free and share in the ad revenue. Mochila (pronounced Mo-CHEE-luh -- which is Spanish for the pannier bags carried by Pony Express riders) is restricting itself to news and text, for now, but will probably add audio and video later.

According to an article in the New York Times, Mochila's technology using extensible markup language, known as XML and allows members to track their content and the number of page views once it is sold.

Content sellers set their own prices and specify to whom they will sell (presumably not direct competitors). Mochila makes its money by taking a percentage (said to be 50%+) on every transacation.

What this will mean to traditional syndication services such as Canadian Press and the Associated Press is anyone's guess. On a unit basis, these annual-fee-based services may still be a better buy for those that use a large volume of stories. And there's the matter of trust, which the traditional wire services have with their customers. But equally, Mochila's model may be the first of many. And what this may mean to freelancer writers who want to keep track of who is reselling their stuff and where, that's a good question, too.

Hachette Filipacchi (Car & Driver, Road and Track) the MediaNews Group and Mansueto Ventures, the owner of Fast Company and Inc. magazines have so far signed up, as has Metro International, which publishes free Metro newspapers in 19 countries.