• by March 31, 2006

In case you haven't heard of it, there's a new content syndication service for text, audio, and video called Mochila--not to be confused with Mozilla, the clearinghouse for the open source software movement. As an online content syndication service, Mochila is an attempt to offer publishers new sources of revenue, while providing media outlets access to high-quality feature and news content on an a la carte and on-demand basis.

Mochila describes itself as a media bazaar where newspapers, magazines, Web sites, and broadcasters sell content to other publications. Initial plans call for Mochila to facilitate the exchange of text and photographs, but eventually it plans to add audio and video content. In case you're wondering, Mochila is pronounced mo-CHEE-luh, which is the Spanish word for knapsack. Put into a historical context, telegrams and letters were transported by the Pony Express in a mochila.

Mochila falls squarely into the on-demand sweet spot where consumers who are in search of content on-demand, can be quickly matched up with it. Buyers join the service for free and buy content directly from sources. Sellers can customize sales by setting fees and deciding what markets to sell in. Mochila makes money by taking a cut, estimated at more than 50 percent, from each transaction. It's also set up to help navigate the sticky issues surrounding the licensing of syndicated content.

Mochila uses extensible markup language, or XML, to enable members to monitor their content and the number of page views after it's sold. Publications buying content from Mochila can also accept related advertising along with the content.

To date, 10 publishers have signed with Mochila, including Hachette Filipacchi's U.S. unit, the MediaNews Group, Metro International, and Mansueto Ventures, the owner of Fast Company and Inc. magazines. We look forward to hearing more about Mochila as it rolls out.

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