Legal Commentary

Architects of Openness

By Lawrence Lessig

Some scholars have been arguing that the architecture of the internet, its embrace of openness as a design principle, might revolutionize science if we could apply the same principles there -- if we could break down the legal and technical barriers that prevent the efficient networking of state funded research and data. Imagine a scientific research process that worked as efficiently as the web does for buying shoes. Then imagine what economic growth a faster, leaner, and more open scientific research environment might generate.

James Boyle, What the information superhighways aren't built of, FT (April 17, 2009). (Not that the FT is the perfect architect of openness. You'll have to give away some personal information to read this wonderful essay. Don't worry. You can give it away "for free.")

Full post as published by Lessig Blog on April 26, 2009 (boomark / email).