Larry Lessig is throwing a conference on Open Spectrum on March 1-2 at Stanford Law School:
In an effort to encourage innovation, critics of the current model have proposed radical – and radically different — reforms. Some say spectrum should be treated like 'property', giving purchasers the same rights afforded any property owner, including the right to exclude others from using it, and the right to transfer ownership. In contrast, proponents of a 'commons' model argue that spectrum is like a stream that belongs to all of us, and that current technological innovations allow sharing of the resource–a practical, not moral, argument…
At "Spectrum Policy: Property or Commons?" leading figures in this debate will explain their views on today's wireless technology and market conditions, and discuss the complex implications of the competing models. Then they'll debate their positions before a blue ribbon panel of judges: FCC Chairman Michael Powell, renowned economist Harold Demsetz, and Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Alex Kozinski.
(Thanks, Lauren!)
