Rating: 
Summary: Public Warning of looting and Destruction of the E-Commons
Review:
I struggled with this book, in part because I really dislike the manner in which the law has been complicated to the point of unreason--beyond the ken of normal people. Having concluded the book, however, I have to say this is really worth the effort. The author is laying bare the raw threats to the future of the electronic commons. He discusses in detail how very specific government policies to sell and control bandwidth, and very specific corporate legal claims being backed by "the people's" lawyers within government, are essentially "fencing" the Internet commons and severely constraining both the rights of the people and the prospects for the future of ideas and innovation.I am not a lawyer and I cannot speak to the points of law, but I am a voter and I can speak to that; what is happening to the Internet through legal machinations that are largely invisible to the people is a travesty, a crime against humanity even if permissible by law, and perhaps grounds for a public uprising demanding the recall of any official that permits and perpetuates the theft of the commons by corporations and their lawyers. In the aftermath of 9-11, when our secret national intelligence and counterintelligence capabilities failed us, there is a need for a restoration of the people's intelligence in the aggregate as our first line of defense against enemies both foreign and domestic. I regard this book as a very serious, thoughtful, and well-intentioned "public intelligence estimate" and warning, of the harm to our security and prosperity that will ensue from a legal system that is now "out of control" and not being audited by the common sense of the people. This book makes it clear that if the people are inert and inattentive, they will be enslaved, "virtually speaking." If you thought Manufacturing Consent by Noam Chomsky was scarcy, or Norman Cousins' The Pathology of Power, then this book is for you. Along with Internet standards acceptable to the people, we now appear to need a public advocacy group, funded by the people, to fight these corporate lawyers at every turn, whilst helping our less than stellar government lawyers cope....
Rating: 
Summary: Innovation or Control
Review: Although published last year, this book remains a classic in Internet books. Describing the dilemmas in intellectual property disputes as well as who controls content, the code and physical layers of the Internet, Lessig has produced a major work. As he repeats in his final sentence, we are moving through the "moment of an architecture of innovation" toward a slippery slope of "an architecture of control." A year later we continue down this slope. At the same time his basic premise of control becoming dominant is not entirely so as we see the growth in interest in Open Source Linux. Even in China, a move toward a more open operating system model at least bodes well for the code layer. He fails to separate consolidation in the industry from the future of control. His well-developed concept of the need for a balance of control and creativity makes it worth the read.
The only criticism of the book is the level of detail explored in each area: code, content and physical layers. However, as an attempt to thoroughly explore this topic, the much of detail is necessary.
Overall, the book is a significant contribution to predictions about the future of the Internet and the need for government regulation to maintain the opportunity for ongoing innovation. This is not just a book about another self-righteous open source freak or intellectual property crusader. Lessig should be read by information technology professionals, attorneys, marketing professionals and business entrepenures alike.
Rating: 
Summary: Facts? We don't need no stinkin' facts....
Review: As a follow on to Code which I did very much enjoy, I was very anxious to read this book. Sadly, however in Lessig's zeal to advance his theories of control working against innovation he strays from the path of logic time and again in an effort to sway the lay reader. It seems that the argument while interesting in the abstract, fails when real facts are required to advance the premise. For instance - he posits without any support that patent rights are no more or less property rights than are welfare grants. He says that the gov't "grants" these rights to promote the public good - which is in part correct however - the govt "secures" (Art. 1 sec. 8 cl. 8 of the US constitution says the gov't "secures" for authors and inventors the rights to their IP) these rights in the same way it secures your land interest by certifying a deed - and there again it is done for public benefit - your owndership of real and intellectual property are in essence the same fiction of govt to promote the public good - and Lessig knows this well. These do not compare well to the grant of welfare which while serving the public good does not contemplate a property interest on behalf of the recipient. His premise is simply absurd. At another point Lessig likens defenders of current IP systems to the Soviets of the failed USSR (clearly the irony and pure chutzpah here can't be lost on the reader - while I appluad the gall I cannot agree with the point). His comparison of the Comm Decency Act vs. copyrights on the Web is again a clear indication of his distortion of facts to support his agenda - on the one hand the CDA (meant to protect minors from online smut) was struck down as inhibiting free speech -Lessig (himself a constitutional expert) wonders why such scrutiny was not applied to the protection of copyrights vs. the ideal of a better web? The issue here is simple and he knows the anwer: the CDA requires under law scrict scrutiny as it impinges on a constitutional right (free speech) whereas the copyright issue does not - Lessig's zeal to advance his intriguing theories from Code has him distorting reality to "prove" his points leading the careful reader to wonder about the "house of cards nature" of his premise. I really expected much more from him and was very disppointed by this book notwithstanding the very interesting premise.
Rating:
Summary: A superb book with a few fatal flaws
Review: Before proceeding to criticise this book, I want to give credit where credit is due. Lawrence Lessig has written a superbly clear and even-handed account of the erosion of the balance at the heart of intellectual property law - between public benefit from creations, and private reward for creators. With a wealth of references and a deft style, he illustrates how regulation of the internet is undermining this crucial balance. Just as in his previous book, 'Code and Other Laws of Cyberspace', Lessig upbraided cyber-libertarians for the lazy assumption that the internet will resist regulation simply by virtue of being the internet, so here he upbraids both sides of the intellectual property debate various for lazy assumptions that have disastrous consequences. Above all, the book is comprehensible to the lay reader while also being invaluable for the legal professional - the collection of references in the endnotes is alone worth the cover price. Now, on to the flaws. The first and foremost flaw is that Lessig commits precisely the crime he railed against in 'Code and Other Laws of Cyberspace' - technological determinism. He fetishises information technology, and ascribes to it vague autonomous powers, even going so far as to distinguish the internet from the 'real' world and argue that it has its own 'physics'. At one point, he catches himself doing this - after a reference to the 'natural state' of cyberspace, he confesses: 'I spend many pages in "Code" arguing against just this way of speaking.' But he can't wriggle out of it so easily - his over-dependence upon assumptions about the different nature of cyberspace undermine his (otherwise very good) argument. A second, related flaw is that Lessig relies for his argument upon too vague a definition of 'innovation'. Much of the time, he would do better to refer merely to 'creativity' or 'the free flow of ideas', which are precious enough in themselves to warrant protection. Inasmuch as Lessig is arguing for a rigorously experimental outlook when it comes to regulation, so that innovation might have the space to flourish, the book makes sense. But the fact is that there is a paucity of innovation today, and a cheapening of what the term 'innovation' means, that goes beyond intellectual property disputes. Information technology, in particular, has conspicuously failed to live up to the many claims made for its innovative character. At no point does Lessig confront this fact. Third, Lessig assumes too much about his readers' opinion of the US Constitution. As it happens, I believe that the Constitution is one of the best legal frameworks for the safeguarding of liberty and creativity that humanity has ever come up with. And Lessig's passion for Constitutional principle is infectious. But I am not American, and merely appealing to the historical origins of a legal principle does not suffice to convince me of the merit of that principle - principles also need to be defended in the abstract. There are many readers outside of the USA (not to mention a few within it) who - unlike myself - have no inbuilt respect for the Constitution, and will dismiss Lessig's argument out of hand rather than giving it a chance. Fourth, Lessig's presentation could be better. Certain of his presentational choices - using environmentalist metaphors to make his point, using the word 'Soviets' as a pejorative shorthand - are guaranteed to unnecessarily annoy portions of his readership. Conversely, despite Lessig's repeated (and correct) assertion that the intellectual property debate isn't about Left vs Right, he goes to unnecessary lengths to justify his argument in the terms of Left and Right. His tortured justifications for arguing against proprietary control often read like 'I'm a Republican, get me out of here!' Fifth and finally, while Lessig praises the creators of the internet for being 'driven by humility to a system of non-control', he exhibits a little too much 'humility' himself. When he slips in disclaimers like 'I'm just a lawyer; I haven't the skill to model this counterfactual', you feel like shaking him by the shoulders and saying 'For god's sake man, have the courage of your convictions!' I've been a little harsh in my criticism, so allow me to reiterate. Whatever its flaws, this is an excellent book, and an important addition to a small but growing genre - [...].
Rating:
Summary: Defines the next decade
Review: Extraordinary book. A warning to the world, which looks strongly and deeply at the connection between the organization of the Internet and the possibilities of innovation and freedom.
Lessig's focus is developing new applications and content, which happens because of the creators at one end of the net can deliver directly to their audience at the other end. This is threatened by companies like TW and Pac Bell in the middle, who want to become gatekeepers along the way, choosing which movies, games, or Internet sites can be effectively carried.
Rating:
Summary: I believe Lessig is right, but wait...
Review: First this book is surprisingly high in detail, so much you have to be seriously committed to reading this. I won't go into deatails, but what I will say is that from this research Lessig predicts our immediate future will be darkened by the digital future. There will be a great chasm between the haves(digital intellectuals) and the have nots(digital users or little wheels of all time). That definitely makes sense in general, but read this with detailed reasoning, becomes a bit scary for our grandchildren if they are not in the upper class.
A very good book that picks up where this leaves off is SB 1 or God, also states our immediate future will be as Lessig states, but after that generation passes,.... By Karl Mark Maddox
Rating:
Summary: More Anti-Capitalist Tripe
Review: Greedy corporations are taking over the world, capitalists steal from the little guy, (intellectual) property rights are coercion, ideas belong to the masses. Sound familiar? It should. We've been hearing the same tired message from Karl Marx's intellectual brethren for over a century. Undeterred by enormous increases in the length and quality of living in nations recognizing (intellectual) property rights, the Lawrence Lessigs of the world are still struggling to wipe-out, roll-back, compromise, or otherwise water-down the right to (intellectual) property. The programmer's right to his code, the musician's right to his melodies, the chemist's right to his formula, and the businessman's right to his trademark are just as absolute--and just as necessary-- as the farmer's right to his wheat and the miner's right to his coal. In fact, it is intellectual property rights, which guarantee a man's right to his *intellectual* products, that have allowed men to climb out of mines and support themselves through *intellectual* effort. Contrary to Lessig's premise, strong patent and copyright protection is even *more vital* in the new digital world. As an increasing amount of wealth is intellectual--such as movies, music, software, paintings, drugs, and web sites--the rights of the producers to keep, trade, license, and dispose of their intellectual creations is crucial: Practically, in order to make intellectual effort a means of earning a living. Morally, in recognition of their productive efforts. For more of the same theories you've heard in books, newspapers, and movies for years, read this book. For a fresh explanation of the moral and practical necessity of intellectual property rights, read "Patents & Copyrights" in Ayn Rand's "Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal"
Rating:
Summary: you'll be amazed at the law and inspired to change it
Review: I found this book so compelling and thoughtfull, that I'm purchasing a dozen more copies to give out at Christmas. The ideas and vision that Mr. Lessig has will compel you to strongly re-thing your laize-fair stance on copyright laws. Mr. Lessig clearly lays out the history of what is behind patent law and copyright law and illustrates some very remarkable instances where the old corporations have used it to ensure that new ideas and new innovations are stifled and cut off. We are copyrighting our culture, and soon you will no longer be able to even sneeze without referencing the original author (even if the copyright holder is dead!) I truly wish that Lessig was wrong about his vision of the future, but I fear he is right.
Rating:
Summary: A sober awakening to the threats to innovation and freedom
Review: I well remember when I first entered the Internet. Even in those days of Gopher and early versions of Mosaic, I found an exciting and brand-new world, ripe with incredible possibilities. It was a world of free expression, rapid access to vast storehouses of information, instant contact with anyone who had the resources to connect. But a dark thought always lurked in the recesses of my mind: What will happen when "Big Money" wakes up to the power of the Web? I luridly imagined mega-corporations somehow buying up the Web, tying up content, and crying up to Big Brother when they didn't get their way. Those days seem to be closer than I ever imagined. That's what I learned in this intricately arresting book by Stanford law professor Lawrence Lessig. It's an exultant yet sobering look at how the nature of the Internet sparked a new age of innovation--and how this is now seriously threatened. As Lessig writes: "The original Net protected fundamental aspects of innovation. End-to-end meant new ideas were protected; open code meant innovation would not be attacked; free distribution meant new ways of connecting would be assured. These protections were largely architectural. This architecture is now changing. And as it changes, as with the threats to liberty, there is a threat here to innovation." Lessig's purpose is awaken us to our untested belief in the value of control over commons before the Net is swallowed up. The Future of Ideas is nicely structured to that end--but you'll need to strap on your thinking cap before you dive in. Lessig is unrelentingly brilliant and his text is richly loaded with concepts you may never have considered He begins by introducting the concept of "commons"--most simply defined as a resource held freely in common for the overall good of society. He helps us understand that concept by repeatedly referring to the public roads and highways--they are held in common, we have free access to them, they bring value where they exist. He then takes this idea of commons and beautifully demonstrates how the Internet rapidly emerged as a new commons for innovation. Against the historical backdrop of controlled innovation that he calls the "dark ages" (well typified by AT&T's former stranglehold over U.S. telecommunications), Lessig shows us how the Web provides a gloriously free field for innovation and ideas--something undeniable in light of its impact over the last several years. He then explains--in what I found by far the most interesting part of the book--how the nature of the Internet itself, at its physical, code and content layers, created, enabled and empowered this new commons of innovation. I learned things I'd never known about the Net and felt that familiar leap of heart at what the Web could bring. The book then takes a dark turn as Lessig explains how each layer of the Net is falling under systems of control--systems that threaten to take away the values, norms and architecture of the Net that make it such a free field for innovation. Behind this are the usual culprits--mega-corporations aided and abetted by politicians and the courts. The result is that the commons of the Net is seriously threatened. But that's only part of the tale Lessig tells. He explains: "The larger story here is not about dark forces. It is about a blindness that affects our political culture generally. We have been so captured by the ideals of property and control that we don't even see the benefits from resources not perfectly controlled.... This is not a conspiracy. It is a cultural blindness." In short, it's a story about us, We the People, who are unquestioningly letting Big Money and Big Government erode the freedoms and commons of the Net. Lessig concludes with some practical, common-sense and challenging recommendations to stop the growing avalanche. Yet the final chapter is chilling, Lessig's closing even more so: "We move through this moment of an architecture of innovation to, once again, embrace an architecture of control--without noticing, without resistance, without so much as a question. Those threatened by this technology of freedom have learned how to turn the technology off. The switch is now being thrown. We are doing nothing about it." Want to do something about it? You can begin by reading this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Yawn - Lessig sure thinks a lot of himself
Review: It will be nice when gas bags such as Lessig are finally measured for the value they have brought us as a society.
The NASDAQ/Dot.com go-go days of the late 90's are dead -and we are better off for it. The hyper-hyperbole driven "economy" where value was temporarily lost under the sofa cushions should be a wakeup call to all of those who think that the next brilliant idea will come from some clown in a loft in the Bay Area or some other hip place - selling dog food online, discussing the owning of their "space," setting out a new "value proposition" and all of the rest of the babble that went on far too long. Mr. Lessig, could you super-size that for me, and I'm in a hurry.
| 
