Document Type
Article
Publication Title
Houston Law Review
Volume
44
Publication Date
2007
Keywords
internet, intellectual property, rulemaking
Abstract
This article argues that the technological attacks on intellectual property are a movement against democratically chosen intellectual property rules. They form a basic challenge to the rule of law and to the control of the rules wired into the network. In making this argument, the Article first maintains that intellectual property rights have an important public function in democracy in that they mark political, economic, and social boundaries. Next, the Article shows that the public law, as enacted by governments, has reallocated intellectual property rights to adapt to the information economy. While many aspects of this new allocation of rights have been controversial, these decisions nevertheless emanate from public authorities. The Article then analyzes the rejection of those rules by technologists and their fight to take control of rulemaking. In essence, the technical community seeks to replace the state's decision on public intellectual property law with the community's own private preferences in subversion of democratic choices. The Article concludes with several predictions and prescriptions.
Recommended Citation
Joel R. Reidenberg,
The Rule of Intellectual Property Law in the Internet Economy, 44 Hous. L. Rev. 1073
(2007-2008)
Available at: https://ir.lawnet.fordham.edu/faculty_scholarship/37
