"The group on Wednesday issued an initial set of technology specifications in a bid to create a system in which users would share customized Internet links, called "content references," instead of swapping song or film files directly.

Michael Miron, president of the Content Reference Forum, said the links could work on existing file-sharing networks, which are now frequently used for illegal Copying.

For example, if a user wanted a song in an MP3 format from a friend who has it in a different file format, the links would serve as a sort of middleman that would help locate that specific content in the appropriate form.

Pricing for content could be set dynamically, based on demand for specific files and file types, for example, or a company's decision to offer a promotional rate to the first users to download a particular song or video."