ICTlogy

Abstract:

Yochai Benkler, Professor of Law at Yale University, explores the effects of laws that regulate information production and exchange on the distribution of control over information flows, knowledge, and culture in the digital environment.

Professor Benkler discusses these and other topics from his new book, The Wealth of Networks: How Social Production Transforms Markets and Freedom. The Wealth of Networks is a comprehensive social theory of the Internet and the networked information economy. In it, Professor Benkler describes how patterns of information, knowledge, and cultural production are changingand shows that the way information and knowledge are made available can either limit or enlarge the ways people can create and express themselves.

Professor Lawrence Lessig of Stanford Law School has written about Yochai Benklers book, The Wealth of Networks. He says, This is by far the most important and powerful book written in the fields that matter most to me in the last ten years. Read it, Professor Lessig says. Understand it. You are not serious about these issues on either side of these debates unless you have read this book.

Yochai Benklers lecture was presented on April 18, 2006 at Harvard Law School, hosted by The Berkman Center for Internet & Society.

Produced by Colin Rhinesmith.

Download the MP3 (time: 41:22)

Attribution: Music from this episode of AudioBerkman was sampled and remixed using a track from Antony Raijekov titled Be Brave (Dub-TripHop RMX).