Lawrence Lessig

Infobox Person
name = Lawrence Lessig

---

caption =
birth_date = birth date and age|1961|6|3
birth_place = Rapid City, South Dakota, U.S.
death_date =
death_place =
occupation = Founder, Creative Commons
Founder, Stanford Center for Internet and Society
Professor, Stanford Law School
salary =
networth =
spouse = Bettina Neuefeind
children =
website = [http://www.lessig.org/ www.lessig.org]
footnotes =

Lawrence Lessig (born June 3 1961) is an American academic and political activist. He is a professor of law at Stanford Law School and founder of its Center for Internet and Society. Lessig is founding board member of Creative Commons and is a board member of the Electronic Frontier Foundation and of the Software Freedom Law Center. He is best known as a proponent of reduced legal restrictions on copyright, trademark and radio frequency spectrum, particularly in technology applications.

At the iCommons iSummit 07 Lessig announced that he will stop focusing his attention on copyright and related matters and will work on political corruption instead. [cite web|url=http://lessig.org/blog/2007/06/required_reading_the_next_10_y_1.html|title=Required Reading: the next 10 years (Lessig Blog) ] This new work may be partially facilitated through his wiki — “Lessig Wiki” — which he has encouraged the public to use to document cases of corruption. [cite web|url=http://lessig.org/blog/2007/06/just_because_im_not_working_do.html|title=Lessig’s blog July 29, 2007 11:55pm] In February 2008, a Facebook group formed by law professor John Palfrey encouraged him to run for Congress from California's 12th congressional district, the seat vacated by the death of U.S. Representative Tom Lantos. Later that month, after forming an "exploratory project", the decision was made not to run for the vacant seat.cite web|url=http://www.lessig.org/blog/2008/02/on_why_i_am_not_running.html|title=On why I am not running (Lessig Blog) ]

Despite having decided to forgo running for congress himself, Lessig remained interested in attempting to change Congress to reduce corruption. To this end, he worked with political consultant Joe Trippi to launch a web based project called "Change Congress." [cite web|url=http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2008/03/stanford-law-pr.html|title=Stanford Law Professor Larry Lessig Bets 'Wikipedia' Approach Will Transform Congress | Threat Level from Wired.com ] In a press conference on March 20, 2008, Lessig explained that he hoped the Change Congress website would help provide technological tools voters could use to hold their representatives accountable and reduce the influence of money on politics. [cite web|url=http://www.visualwebcaster.com/event.asp?id=46510|title=Sunlight Foundation Webcast ]

Academic career

Born in Rapid City, South Dakota, Lessig earned a B.A. in Economics and a B.S. in Management (Wharton School) from the University of Pennsylvania, an M.A. in philosophy from the University of Cambridge (Trinity) in England, and a Juris Doctor from Yale Law School.

Prior to joining Stanford he taught at the Harvard Law School, where he was the Berkman Professor of Law, affiliated with the Berkman Center for Internet & Society, and the University of Chicago Law School. Lessig is considered a liberal, but he clerked for two influential conservative judges: Richard Posner and Justice Antonin Scalia.

Attitudes

Lessig has emphasized in interviews that his philosophy experience at Cambridge radically changed his values and career path. Previously, he had held strong conservative or libertarian political views, desired a career in business, was a highly active Teenage Republican serving as the Youth Governor for Pennsylvania through the YMCA Youth & Government program [http://www.ymcapa.org/] in 1978 and almost pursued a Republican political career.

What was intended to be a year abroad at Cambridge convinced him instead to stay another two years to complete an undergraduate degree in philosophy there and develop his changed political values. During this time, he also traveled in the Eastern Bloc, so acquiring a lifelong interest in Eastern European law and politics.

Lessig refuses to embrace the usual libertarianism. While Lessig remains skeptical of government intervention, he favors regulation by calling himself “a constitutionalist”. Because of his relative youth, and his intellectually innovative views of American legal theory, Lessig has often been cited as a potential candidate to fill vacant federal appellate judgeships in a future Democratic presidential administration.fact|date=August 2007

In his blog, Lessig has come out in favor of Democratic primary candidate Barack Obama, citing the transformative nature of Obama's campaign as one of his chief reasons. A campaign to draft Lessig to run for the US Congress from the Bay Area began in February 2008. [cite web|url=http://draftlessig.org/|title=Draft Lessig — Change Congress ]

"Code is law"

In computer science, “code” typically refers to the text of a computer program (i.e., source code). In law, “code” can refer to the texts that constitute statutory law. In his book "Code and Other Laws of Cyberspace", Lessig explores the ways in which code in both senses can be instruments for social control, leading to his dictum that “Code is law”.

Lessig Method

Lessig is also known for using a style of computer presentations typified by rapid display of short phrases or pictures. [http://randomfoo.net/oscon/2002/lessig/free.html — Flash presentation of a Lessig “Free Culture” lecture and presentation] James MacLennan calls his presentation style the “Lessig Method”. [cite web|url=http://www.presentationzen.com/presentationzen/2005/10/the_lessig_meth.html|title=Presentation Zen: The "Lessig Method" of presentation ]

"Free Culture"

In 2002, Lessig was awarded the Award for the Advancement of Free Software from the Free Software Foundation (FSF), and on March 28, 2004 he was elected to the FSF’s Board of Directors. [cite web|url=http://www.fsf.org/about/leadership.html|title=Leadership - Free Software Foundation ] In 2006, Lessig was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. [cite web|url=http://news-service.stanford.edu/news/2006/april26/aaas-042606.html|title=Eight scholars elected to academy of arts and sciences ] Lessig is also a well-known critic of copyright term extensions.

He proposed the concept of “Free Culture.” [cite web|url=http://randomfoo.net/oscon/2002/lessig/|title=free_culture ] He also supports free software and open spectrum. [cite web|url=http://cyberlaw.stanford.edu/spectrum/|title=Spectrum Policy: Property or Commons? ] At his “Free culture” keynote at OSCON 2002, half of his speech was also about software patents, which he views as a rising threat to both free/open source software and innovation.

Wiki-related activities

In March 2006, Lessig joined the board of advisors of the Digital Universe project. [cite web|url=http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/03-14-2006/0004319554&EDATE=|title=Digital Universe Adds Leading Internet Expert Lawrence Lessig to Board of Advisors ]

A few months later, Lessig gave a talk on the ethics of the Free Culture Movement at the 2006 Wikimania conference.

Combating sexual abuse

In May 2005, it was revealed that Lessig had experienced sexual abuse by the director at the American Boychoir School which he had attended as an adolescent. [cite web|url=http://www.newyorkmetro.com/nymetro/news/features/12061/index.html|title=Lawrence Lessig and John Hardwicke Fight Sexual Abuse and the American Boychoir School ] Lessig reached a settlement with the school in the past, under confidential terms. He revealed his experiences in the course of representing another student victim, John Hardwicke, in court. [cite web|url=http://www.lessig.org/blog/archives/002912.shtml|title=living with ghosts (Lessig Blog) ] In August 2006, he succeeded in persuading the New Jersey Supreme Court to radically restrict the scope of immunity that had protected nonprofits which failed to prevent sexual abuse from legal liability. [cite web|url=http://lawlibrary.rutgers.edu/decisions/supreme/a-17-04.doc.html|title=a-17-04.doc.html ]

Media references

Lessig appears as a character in a 2005 episode of the television political drama "The West Wing" (“The Wake Up Call”, season 6, episode 14). Lessig’s character, portrayed by Christopher Lloyd, is intended to be a realistic depiction including such details as citing his book "The Future of Ideas" and his expertise in Eastern European constitutional law. ( [http://www.lessig.org/blog/archives/002421.shtml Lessig’s comments on his blog] )

Artist group Monochrom performed a "Love Song for Lessig" on Boing Boing TV in the 2007-11-15 episode. [cite web|url=http://www.boingboing.net/2007/11/15/bbtv-marks-curie-eng.html|title=BBtv: Mark's Curie Engine / Monochrom's love song for Lessig - Boing Boing ] The Austrian-German term "lässig" (meaning "cool" or "relaxed") is pronounced the same as Lessig's last name, and "Love Song for Lessig" uses the homonym for humor.

Notable cases

* " [http://lawlibrary.rutgers.edu/decisions/supreme/a-17-04.doc.html Hardwicke v. American Boychoir] " (representing plaintiff John Hardwicke) Pending
* "Golan v. Gonzales" (representing multiple plaintiffs) Dismissed
* "Eldred v. Ashcroft" (representing plaintiff Eric Eldred) Lost
* "Kahle v. Ashcroft"—also see Brewster Kahle Dismissed
* "Golan v. Ashcroft"—also see [http://cyberlaw.stanford.edu/about/cases/golan_v_ashcroft.shtml http://cyberlaw.stanford.edu/about/cases/golan_v_ashcroft.shtml] Dismissed
* "United States v. Microsoft" (special master and author of an amicus brief addressing the Sherman Act [http://www.lessig.org/content/testimony/ab/ab.pdf] )
** Lessig was appointed special master by Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson in 1997. The appointment was vacated by the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit [http://pacer.cadc.uscourts.gov/common/opinions/199806/97-5343a.txt] . The appellate court ruled that the powers granted to Lessig exceeded the scope of the Federal statute providing for special masters. Judge Jackson then solicited Lessig’s amicus brief.
** Lessig himself says about this appointment: “Did Justice Jackson pick me to be his special master because he had determined I was the perfect mix of Holmes and Ed Felten? No, I was picked because I was a Harvard Law Professor teaching the law of cyberspace. Remember: So is “fame” made.” [http://www.lessig.org/blog/archives/002421.shtml]
* "MPAA v. 2600" (submitted an amicus brief with Yochai Benkler in support of 2600 [http://www.lessig.org/content/testimony/dvd/dvd.pdf] )

Bibliography

* "Code and Other Laws of Cyberspace" (2000) ISBN 978-0-465-03913-5
* "The Future of Ideas" (2001) ISBN 978-0-375-50578-2 - available as a free Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommerical (by-nc) licensed download [http://www.the-future-of-ideas.com/]
* "Free Culture" (2004) ISBN 978-1-59420-006-9 - available as a free Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommerical licensed download [http://free-culture.org/]
* "" (2006) ISBN 978-0-465-03914-2 - available as a free Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (by-sa) licensed download [http://codev2.cc/]
* "" - planned for Fall 2008 [cite web|url=http://lessig.org/blog/2008/08/coming_this_fall_remix.html|title=Coming this fall: Remix - Lessig Blog]

=References=

External links

* [http://www.lessig.org/ Lawrence Lessig's web site]
* [http://www.supremecourtus.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/01-618.pdf Transcript of his oral argument] and [http://www.supremecourtus.gov/opinions/02pdf/01-618.pdf the Court's Opinion for "Eldred v. Ashcroft"]
* [http://www.gnu.org/award/2002/2002.html 2002 FSF Award for the Advancement of Free Software]
* [http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/10.10/lessig.html?pg=5 coverage of Lessig's opposition to the Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act]
* [http://presentationzen.blogs.com/presentationzen/2005/10/the_lessig_meth.html The 'Lessig' Method of Presentation]
* [http://wiki.lessig.org/index.php/Anti-Lessig_Reader The Anti-Lessig Wiki] , a wiki started by Prof. Lessig intended to provide a space to catalog critics and oppositions of his ideas (currently mostly inactive)
* [http://www.artistshousemusic.org/videos/creative+commons An Interview with Lawrence Lessig on Creative Commons]
* [http://www.change-congress.org/ Change Congress] A national movement started by Lessig and Joe Trippi to end corruption in America's congress

Columns

* [http://www.legalaffairs.org/issues/March-April-2004/story_lessig_marapr04.html How I Lost The Big One] —Lessig's account of why the Eldred v. Ashcroft case went to Ashcroft
* [http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/12.03/lessig_pr.html "Some Like It Hot" essay by Lessig in Wired 12.03 excerpted from "Free Culture: How Big Media Uses Technology and the Law to Lock Down Culture and Control Creativity"]
* [http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/15.01/posts.html?pg=6 Lessig admits having been wrong on Microsoft's monopoly power] and the potential for a competitor to arise.

Interviews

* [http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/10.10/lessig_pr.html "Lawrence Lessig's Supreme Showdown"—Wired magazine interview from October 2002]
* [http://www.foreignpolicy.com/story/cms.php?story_id=3306&print=1 "Seven Questions: Battling for Control of the Internet"] , Foreign Policy, November 2005
* [http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=01/12/21/155221 Slashdot interview]
* [http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/a/policy/2005/02/24/lessig.html "Remixing Culture: An Interview with Lawrence Lessig"] , O'Reilly Network, 2005-2-24
* [http://www.worldchanging.com/archives/005359.html “Lawrence Lessig and the developing Nations License”] , Worldchanging, November 16, 2006
* [http://makesomethinghappen.net/2008/07/22/a-sit-down-w-lawrence-lessig/ “Lessig discusses implementing Change Congress”] , Make Something Happen, July 22, 2008

Audio/Video

* [http://www.visualwebcaster.com/event.asp?id=46510 Press Conference] Announcing the release of the Change Congress website
* [http://randomfoo.net/oscon/2002/lessig/ “Free Culture” keynote] from OSCON 2002 (including an audio and Flash with the presentation as well as the presentation itself)
* [http://wilcoworld.net/wired/ Who Owns Culture?] —Jeff Tweedy and Lawrence Lessig in conversation with Steven Johnson
* [http://philosophytalk.org/pastShows/WhoOwnsIdeas.htm Who Owns Ideas?] Radio interview on Philosophy Talk
* [http://radio.eff.org/radio_shows/lessig_valenti.mp3 Debate] between Lessig and Jack Valenti.
* [http://www.itconversations.com/shows/detail497.html Lessig's keynote] from OSCON 2005 (with comments, audio and presentation)
* [http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/lydon/2003/12/18#a455 Christopher Lydon Interviews…] Audio interview.
* [http://www.radiophiles.org/ The Lawrence Lessig interview on Radiophiles.org]
* [http://www.google.com/custom?q=lawrence+lessig&sitesearch=itconversations.com IT Conversations] —Audio programs featuring Lessig
* [http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7533767252727349960&q=twit Lawrence Lessig interview] on This Week in Tech
* [http://www.digitalvillage.org/audio.html Lessig on Digital Village Radio] , December 3, 2005
** [http://www.digitalvillage.org/audio/dv05120301.mp3 Part 1] (MP3)
** [http://www.digitalvillage.org/audio/dv05120302.mp3 Part 2] (MP3)
* [http://thisweekintech.com/tri1 Lessig on the Triangulation podcast] , December 5, 2005. Topic: Google Books
* [http://wiki.ael.be/index.php/LawrenceLessig An archive of speeches]
* [http://www.youare.tv/watch.php?id=545 Lessig discusses Network Neutrality in this video taken at Rochester Institute of Technology on March 24, 2006]
* [http://ia360605.us.archive.org/3/items/WOS4_09_20h_ReadWriteSociety/09_20h_ReadWriteSociety.ogg Lessig discusses the concept of the Read-Write Society at the Wizards of OS (138 MB)] (alternatively you can hear the audio recording: [http://ia360605.us.archive.org/3/items/WOS4_09_20h_ReadWriteSociety/09_20h_ReadWriteSociety_audio.ogg 36 MB] )
*
* [http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7661663613180520595 Lawrence Lessig—On Free, and the Differences between Culture and Code] from the 2006 Chaos Communication Congress
* Video—Interview (mainly in English with German intro and German subtitles): [http://www.elektrischer-reporter.de/index.php/site/film/24/ Part 1] , [http://www.elektrischer-reporter.de/index.php/site/film/25/ Part 2]
* [http://www.cbc.ca/thehour/video.php?id=975 Creative Commons Explained: Lawrence Lessig] on "The Hour" with George Stroumboulopoulos
* [http://www.lib.neu.edu/libraries_and_collections/libraries/calendar_of_events/free_culture_forum/ Lessig participating in a Panel Discussion] , Free Culture Forum, March 23, 2006, sponsored by the Northeastern University Libraries in Boston, MA.
* Video of Lessig's March 2007 talk, " [http://www.ted.com/talks/view/id/187 How creativity is being strangled by the law] ," at the annual TED conference in Monterey, California.
* Lawrence Lessig on " [http://www.opensourcecinema.org/taxonomy/term/6 Open Source Cinema] ", an open source documentary film about copyright.
* Lawrence Lessig interview in "Good Copy Bad Copy", a documentary about copyright and culture. Denmark, 2007.
* [http://www.visualwebcaster.com/event.asp?id=46510 Change Congress Project Launch] , Sponsored by the Sunlight Foundation, and held at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. on March 20, 2008
* [http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2008/04/18/18493845.php The Future of the Open Internet in America] , FCC hearing at Stanford University on April 17, 2008
* [http://www.oyez.org/cases/2000-2009/2002/2002_01_618/ Audio and transcript of "Eldred v. Ashcroft" hearing] , from Oyez.org

See also

* Free Culture Movement
* Copyleft
* Free software movement
* Free content
* FreeCulture.org
* Open educational resources
* Gratis versus Libre (free as in freedom)
* Open content
* Creative Commons

Persondata
NAME= Lessig, Lawrence
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION= Founder, Creative Commons, Founder, Stanford Center for Internet and Society, Professor, Stanford Law School
DATE OF BIRTH= June 3, 1961
PLACE OF BIRTH= Rapid City, South Dakota, U.S.
DATE OF DEATH=
PLACE OF DEATH=