A Threat To Innovation On The Web?
from the so-many-threats dept
The Financial Times is running a point-counter point discussion starting with a column by Larry Lessig talking about the latest “threat” to innovation: where broadband network providers have a say over what applications can run on their networks. Lessig says that the networks should be neutral, and the network providers shouldn’t have any say in how they’re used. He even points out that he’s supporting companies like Microsoft and Disney on this one, since they’re the ones who are being asked to pay extra to play on broadband networks – but that the precedent that would set would be dangerous for everyone. The counter-point comes from Richard Epstein, from the University of Chicago law school, saying that Lessig is confusing issues in his essay, and that there isn’t any evidence that network providers really are preventing anyone from using their network however they want.
