The Future of Thought

Author: Lawrence Lessig
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-10-01
Features: The Internet revolution has arrived, some say it has passed. Why did it come about? And why is it leaving? Lawrence Lessig explains why a counter-revolutionary destructive force emerged in the Internet revolution and its consequences. Creativity flourishes because the Internet protects the public resources of innovation. The unique design of the Internet creates a neutral platform. A wide range of authors can experiment on this platform. The legal framework surrounding this platform protects this space of freedom, allowing culture and information—the ideas of our time—to flow freely, thus inspiring unprecedented creative achievements. However, this framework is changing—both legally and technologically. This change will lead to the loss of the creative and innovative opportunities once provided by early-stage the Internet. Powerful forces are swiftly using law and technology to "tame" the Internet, turning it from a fertile ground for ideas into something no different from high-speed cable TV. Innovation will again be constrained from the top down, gradually controlled by network owners, patent giants, and copyright hoarders. Technology makes an extraordinary future possible, yet the future of ideas is closing. We must choose between progress and a new dark age.