Cyber Rights
Encyclopedia
Cyber Rights: Defending Free speech in the Digital Age is a non-fiction
book about cyberlaw, written by free speech lawyer
Mike Godwin
. It was first published in 1998 by Times Books
. It was republished in 2003 as a revised edition by The MIT Press. Godwin graduated from the University of Texas School of Law
in 1990 and was the first staff counsel for the Electronic Frontier Foundation
. Written with a first-person perspective, Cyber Rights gives the reader a background in legal issues and history pertaining to free speech on the Internet. It documents the author's experiences in defending free speech online, and puts forth the thesis that "the remedy for the abuse of free speech is more speech". Godwin emphasizes that decisions made about the expression of ideas on the Internet have an impact on freedom of speech in other mediums of communication as well, as granted by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution
.
The book was received favorably by Library Journal
, where it was "Recommended for anyone concerned about expression on the Internet and democratic society." Booklist
recommended Cyber Rights, for both circulating and professional collections", and School Library Journal
recommended it for young readers. Salon
called the book "an instructional book with an argument to convey – a sort of cross between a dry, textbookish primer and a lively personal history." The Green Bag
commented that the book was "preaching to the choir", and that legal implications of speech on the Internet "must be taken seriously". Publishers Weekly
noted Godwin's "unusually broad view of free speech", and criticized the author for viewing issues "filtered through rose-colored screens". Law Library Journal criticized the book for being repetitive, and wrote positively of it for being "a good introduction to the world of cyberspace and the legal issues that affect the Internet." Law Library Journal recommended Cyber Rights for "large academic law libraries". The Philadelphia Inquirer
highlighted Cyber Rights among "1998's Best Reading".
. At the time of the book's first publication, Godwin was employed as a staff counsel for the Electronic Frontier Foundation
(EFF). He had been hired as EFF's first staff counsel after graduating from law school in 1990. Law Library Journal noted, "In this position, he worked on the frontlines of the fight to make sure that freedom of expression is more than tolerated, that in fact it is able to flourish in cyberspace."
Cyber Rights is Godwin's first book. Godwin has described himself as a civil libertarian. From 1997 to 1998, Godwin was a fellow of the Media Studies Center. In 2007, he was a research fellow at Yale University
. Godwin became general counsel
for the Wikimedia Foundation
in July 2007.
. Godwin's motivation is to make sure that the Internet is kept safe from government actions which have the potential to decrease freedom of speech
. He asserts that the First Amendment to the United States Constitution
should apply equally to the exercise of speech on the Internet as it does to other methods of communication.
The book's early chapters ground the reader in principles involving cyberspace and the law. The author provides enough background such that a layperson can understand the relevant legal history involving free speech on the Internet, including explaining what is and is not considered libel, and going over the extent to which copyrighted text may be quoted and used as fair use
. Godwin explains his goal in having written Cyber Rights is "to show that striking a balance in favor of individual rights has always been the right decision for us and that it remains so even when technology gives us new ways to exercise those rights. Individual liberty has never weakened us; freedom of speech, enhanced by the Net, will only make us stronger". He instructs the reader on how to become proficient in dealing with mainstream news media
, writing, "Learn how to hack all the media. Then put that knowledge to good use".
Subsequent chapters bring up possible challenges to broad free speech online, including: defamation, sexual harassment
, copyright
, and issues involving privacy
. These issues are dismissed as being less important than the value of freedom of speech. Godwin argues for individuals to be given latitude when utilizing the power of speech on the internet because "it's far more likely that they'll do good than otherwise. This is because freedom of speech is itself a good. The framers of the Constitution were right to give it special protection, because societies in which people can speak freely are better off than societies in which they can't".
The author discusses influential legal cases including a judgment involving Compuserve
, where the court ruled that the Internet service provider
should be deemed similar to a bookstore, and not be held guilty for publicizing potentially offensive speech. He recounts the legal case Steve Jackson Games, Inc. v. United States Secret Service
which followed after a raid by the United States Secret Service
in 1990 on Steve Jackson Games
, and his involvement influencing the media relating to the incident. He cites the LaMacchia case, which dealt with charges of copyright infringement of software
subsequently dismissed. An incident at Santa Rosa Junior College
which involved issues of free speech and gender discrimination is discussed and analyzed in the book.
Godwin analyzes the effects of a 1995 cover story "Cyberporn" in TIME
magazine and writings by Martin Rimm that discussed the impact of Internet pornography
. He explains how the theories of the study presented in the "Cyberporn" article in TIME were discredited. Godwin calls the incident following the TIME article the "cyber-porn panic"; noting how the magazine published a cover story on a purported "study" of pornography on the Internet and how he and others exposed flaws in the piece.
He cites the Communications Decency Act of 1996 (CDA) as an example of U.S. government action which cramps free speech. Godwin describes the subsequent actions to defeat the CDA. The Supreme Court of the United States
held two contested sections of the CDA as unconstitutional, and Godwin recounts how he became emotional in agreement with the decision. A thesis which Godwin emphasizes throughout the book is that "the remedy for the abuse of free speech is more speech". Cyber Rights puts forth the notion that "virtual communities" can be fostered on the Internet which serve to improve values of democracy. "The decisions we make about the Internet don't affect just the Internet – they are answers to basic questions about the relationship each citizen has to the government and about the extent to which we trust one another with the full range of fundamental rights granted by the Constitution," writes Godwin.
, where it was described as "a provocative discussion of the social and legal issues concerning computer online communications". The review noted that Godwin, "provides an excellent background to the governmental and privacy dimensions of the Internet, using anecdotal accounts to illustrate web-related legal issues." Library Journal concluded, "Recommended for anyone concerned about expression on the Internet and democratic society." Booklist
observed, "He wants us to understand that the principles upon which this country is founded are unquestionably worth the risk. He passionately defends, in clear, one-two-three soundbites, the online freedom he wants his daughter to inherit, and he insists that his readers untangle the meanings behind the use of words such as indecency and pornography to frighten and to confuse." Booklist recommended Cyber Rights be carried in libraries, concluding, "Most libraries will want copies for both circulating and professional collections."
Cyber Rights received a positive review in Salon
, which noted, "Readers of 'Cyber Rights' will range from those who have never heard of Mike Godwin to those who have tangoed with him online at some point or have at least lurked silently as the debate raged. Whatever the number in the first category, those falling into the second are legion. Godwin has been online so long he's had a celebrated law that predicts the course of online discussions named after him." The review observed, "Throughout 'Cyber Rights,' it becomes clear that what makes Godwin a sometimes unpleasant online sparring partner is precisely what has catapulted him to the front lines in the seemingly endless battles for free speech on the Net. ... his tenacity and his insistence on wrestling every last breath out of his opponents' arguments." Salon characterized the book as, "an instructional book with an argument to convey – a sort of cross between a dry, textbookish primer and a lively personal history."
Columbia Journalism Review
gave the book a favorable review, noting, "This is a lively, garrulous account by an activist who was deeply involved in turning back the threat of regulation and, at least for the time being, securing rights of free expression online." The review described the latter portion of the book as "a more intense personal chronicle of Godwin's deep involvement in what he calls the 'cyberporn panic' – the push to control Internet content." Columbia Journalism Review concluded, "Ultimately, Godwin shows, this strong response laid the groundwork for lawsuits that enabled the Supreme Court to declare the 'decency' amendment unconstitutional. He was in the thick of things throughout this effort, and his journal lets the reader relive the tension and uncertainty of trying to halt a media stampede before it crushed everything in its path."
School Library Journal
recommended the book for young readers, and commented, "Teens growing up with the Net aren't likely to find a better roadmap to the issues affecting their First Amendment future there than this book." The New York Times Book Review
was critical of Godwin's writing style in the book, and observed, "He writes in a strong, piercing voice that probably does wonders in a courtroom, but comes off increasingly shrill over several hundred pages of commentary, and at one point fairly warns his reader, 'Subtlety isn't my strong point.'" The Journal of Information Ethics wrote, "This is less an analytic study than a personal survey of situations or occurrences articulated in an informal, colloquial, and anecdotal fashion. It is not aimed at the intelligentsia or legal profession, although members of these groups would certainly benefit from the details." The review concluded, "The details are sometimes overwhelming, but for those who wish to know everything, this is a good place to start."
The Philadelphia Inquirer
highlighted Cyber Rights among "1998's Best Reading", and concluded, "Often reads, as Godwin intends, as a handbook for free-speech activism". A review in the San Antonio Express-News
concluded, "'Cyber Rights' is an extremely important book, one that anyone who accesses the Internet should read. Those who support the causes Godwin fights against aren't going to be happy with it, because he pokes some big holes in their arguments. But one of the bedrock freedoms we all enjoy is freedom of speech, and Godwin makes an elegant defense in its behalf." The Dallas Morning News
characterized the book as a multifacted legal instructive work, and commented, "Part philosophical musings, part legal primer, part history and part political analysis, the book touches on just about every facet of how the Internet is transforming free-speech issues." The Houston Chronicle
wrote, "Godwin makes a passionate case for ensuring the online world has the same civil rights as the 'real' world." Writing in the book Internet and the Law, author Aaron Schwabach comments, "The book takes an anticensorship position, but it presents all sides of the various questions fairly and completely."
CommLaw Conspectus of The Catholic University of America
noted, "Cyber Rights brims with anecdotes and behind-the-scenes looks at the people and organizations struggling with the [reality] and potential of the information superhighway
." A review of the book in The Green Bag
concluded, "Overall, Godwin seems to be preaching to the choir, rather than making legal arguments to win over converts. Lower publication costs do increase the possibility of publication, but, standing alone, may not justify replacing the legal regimes developed over time to regulate expression - legal regimes which, for the most part, have endured through previous revolutions in the technology of disseminating information. Theology, which calls on faith, and economics, which calls on reason and empiricism, may not be compatible. But the Internet is about a shift in the economics of expression, not a theological revolution in how the First Amendment affects society, and when the project is getting the legal prescriptions right, all of the implications must be taken seriously."
Publishers Weekly
commented that in the book Godwin put forth "an unusually broad view of free speech". The review noted that by citing noteworthy legal cases affecting free speech online, "he frames nicely some of the issues raised by the encounter of the 200-year-old Bill of Rights and the cutting-edge Internet." Publishers Weekly wrote that by the end of the book, "his arguments have become predictable – or flimsy, as when he implies that the Net poses no new risks with its dissemination of dangerous information, such as bomb-making instructions, because libraries have carried such information for years." The review concluded, "Godwin's book is a thoughtful examination of an important subject, but its thoughts seem too often filtered through rose-colored screens."
In a review of the revised and updated 2003 edition of the book, Law Library Journal wrote, "Cyber Rights: Defending Free Speech in the Digital Age is a book that can help the uninitiated become familiar with the issues and arguments that have shaped the debate over regulating cyberspace." The review noted, "Cyber Rights was inspired by Godwin's unwavering belief that an uncensored Internet can transform society into a true democracy. It is an exceptionally personal work and resembles an online journal. ... The book, written in the first person, has a casual and conversational style. As the reader is able to 'hear' the author's voice, Cyber Rights is extremely easy to read." Law Library Journal criticized the book for being repetitive, and for dismissing arguments of his opponents as "an irrational fear of the unknown (i.e., cyberspace) or as a poor understanding of case law or the Framers' intent". The review acknowledged, "Cyber Rights is a good introduction to the world of cyberspace and the legal issues that affect the Internet. It presents, in a readable style, a passionate perspective on an emerging area of law." Law Library Journal recommended the book for "large academic law libraries".
Books
Law centers
Non-fiction
Non-fiction is the form of any narrative, account, or other communicative work whose assertions and descriptions are understood to be fact...
book about cyberlaw, written by free speech lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
Mike Godwin
Mike Godwin
Michael Wayne Godwin is an American attorney and author. He was the first staff counsel of the Electronic Frontier Foundation , and the creator of the Internet adage Godwin's Law of Nazi Analogies. From July 2007 to October 2010, he was general counsel for the Wikimedia Foundation...
. It was first published in 1998 by Times Books
Times Books
Times Books is a publishing imprint owned by The New York Times Company and licensed to Henry Holt and Company....
. It was republished in 2003 as a revised edition by The MIT Press. Godwin graduated from the University of Texas School of Law
University of Texas School of Law
The University of Texas School of Law, also known as UT Law, is an ABA-certified American law school located on the University of Texas at Austin campus. The law school has been in operation since the founding of the University in 1883. It was one of only two schools at the University when it was...
in 1990 and was the first staff counsel for the Electronic Frontier Foundation
Electronic Frontier Foundation
The Electronic Frontier Foundation is an international non-profit digital rights advocacy and legal organization based in the United States...
. Written with a first-person perspective, Cyber Rights gives the reader a background in legal issues and history pertaining to free speech on the Internet. It documents the author's experiences in defending free speech online, and puts forth the thesis that "the remedy for the abuse of free speech is more speech". Godwin emphasizes that decisions made about the expression of ideas on the Internet have an impact on freedom of speech in other mediums of communication as well, as granted by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution
First Amendment to the United States Constitution
The First Amendment to the United States Constitution is part of the Bill of Rights. The amendment prohibits the making of any law respecting an establishment of religion, impeding the free exercise of religion, abridging the freedom of speech, infringing on the freedom of the press, interfering...
.
The book was received favorably by Library Journal
Library Journal
Library Journal is a trade publication for librarians. It was founded in 1876 by Melvil Dewey . It reports news about the library world, emphasizing public libraries, and offers feature articles about aspects of professional practice...
, where it was "Recommended for anyone concerned about expression on the Internet and democratic society." Booklist
Booklist
Booklist is a publication of the American Library Association that provides critical reviews of books and audiovisual materials for all ages. It is geared toward libraries and booksellers and is available in print or online...
recommended Cyber Rights, for both circulating and professional collections", and School Library Journal
School Library Journal
The School Library Journal is a monthly magazine with articles and reviews for school librarians, media specialists, and public librarians who work with young people. Articles cover a wide variety of topics, with a focus on technology and multimedia. Reviews are included for preschool to 4th grade,...
recommended it for young readers. Salon
Salon.com
Salon.com, part of Salon Media Group , often just called Salon, is an online liberal magazine, with content updated each weekday. Salon was founded by David Talbot and launched on November 20, 1995. It was the internet's first online-only commercial publication. The magazine focuses on U.S...
called the book "an instructional book with an argument to convey – a sort of cross between a dry, textbookish primer and a lively personal history." The Green Bag
The Green Bag
The Green Bag: An Entertaining Journal of Law is a legal journal supported in part by George Mason University School of Law and is dedicated to publishing "good writing" about the law. Founded in 1997 by three former-classmates of the University of Chicago Law School , The Green Bag is published...
commented that the book was "preaching to the choir", and that legal implications of speech on the Internet "must be taken seriously". Publishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly, aka PW, is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers and literary agents...
noted Godwin's "unusually broad view of free speech", and criticized the author for viewing issues "filtered through rose-colored screens". Law Library Journal criticized the book for being repetitive, and wrote positively of it for being "a good introduction to the world of cyberspace and the legal issues that affect the Internet." Law Library Journal recommended Cyber Rights for "large academic law libraries". The Philadelphia Inquirer
The Philadelphia Inquirer
The Philadelphia Inquirer is a morning daily newspaper that serves the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, metropolitan area of the United States. The newspaper was founded by John R. Walker and John Norvell in June 1829 as The Pennsylvania Inquirer and is the third-oldest surviving daily newspaper in the...
highlighted Cyber Rights among "1998's Best Reading".
Author
Godwin is a graduate of the University of Texas School of LawUniversity of Texas School of Law
The University of Texas School of Law, also known as UT Law, is an ABA-certified American law school located on the University of Texas at Austin campus. The law school has been in operation since the founding of the University in 1883. It was one of only two schools at the University when it was...
. At the time of the book's first publication, Godwin was employed as a staff counsel for the Electronic Frontier Foundation
Electronic Frontier Foundation
The Electronic Frontier Foundation is an international non-profit digital rights advocacy and legal organization based in the United States...
(EFF). He had been hired as EFF's first staff counsel after graduating from law school in 1990. Law Library Journal noted, "In this position, he worked on the frontlines of the fight to make sure that freedom of expression is more than tolerated, that in fact it is able to flourish in cyberspace."
Cyber Rights is Godwin's first book. Godwin has described himself as a civil libertarian. From 1997 to 1998, Godwin was a fellow of the Media Studies Center. In 2007, he was a research fellow at Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
. Godwin became general counsel
General Counsel
A general counsel is the chief lawyer of a legal department, usually in a corporation or government department. The term is most used in the United States...
for the Wikimedia Foundation
Wikimedia Foundation
Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. is an American non-profit charitable organization headquartered in San Francisco, California, United States, and organized under the laws of the state of Florida, where it was initially based...
in July 2007.
Contents
Cyber Rights analyzes the legal concerns involved with communicating on the Internet. The author gives an overview of legal matters relating to Internet privacy and government involvement. The book is written with a first-person perspective: the reader learns of the author's morning ritual, the fact that he owns a cat called Francie, and that he started a relationship and then married a woman after meeting her through a Bulletin Board SystemBulletin board system
A Bulletin Board System, or BBS, is a computer system running software that allows users to connect and log in to the system using a terminal program. Once logged in, a user can perform functions such as uploading and downloading software and data, reading news and bulletins, and exchanging...
. Godwin's motivation is to make sure that the Internet is kept safe from government actions which have the potential to decrease freedom of speech
Freedom of speech
Freedom of speech is the freedom to speak freely without censorship. The term freedom of expression is sometimes used synonymously, but includes any act of seeking, receiving and imparting information or ideas, regardless of the medium used...
. He asserts that the First Amendment to the United States Constitution
First Amendment to the United States Constitution
The First Amendment to the United States Constitution is part of the Bill of Rights. The amendment prohibits the making of any law respecting an establishment of religion, impeding the free exercise of religion, abridging the freedom of speech, infringing on the freedom of the press, interfering...
should apply equally to the exercise of speech on the Internet as it does to other methods of communication.
The book's early chapters ground the reader in principles involving cyberspace and the law. The author provides enough background such that a layperson can understand the relevant legal history involving free speech on the Internet, including explaining what is and is not considered libel, and going over the extent to which copyrighted text may be quoted and used as fair use
Fair use
Fair use is a limitation and exception to the exclusive right granted by copyright law to the author of a creative work. In United States copyright law, fair use is a doctrine that permits limited use of copyrighted material without acquiring permission from the rights holders...
. Godwin explains his goal in having written Cyber Rights is "to show that striking a balance in favor of individual rights has always been the right decision for us and that it remains so even when technology gives us new ways to exercise those rights. Individual liberty has never weakened us; freedom of speech, enhanced by the Net, will only make us stronger". He instructs the reader on how to become proficient in dealing with mainstream news media
Mainstream media
Mainstream media are those media disseminated via the largest distribution channels, which therefore represent what the majority of media consumers are likely to encounter...
, writing, "Learn how to hack all the media. Then put that knowledge to good use".
Subsequent chapters bring up possible challenges to broad free speech online, including: defamation, sexual harassment
Sexual harassment
Sexual harassment, is intimidation, bullying or coercion of a sexual nature, or the unwelcome or inappropriate promise of rewards in exchange for sexual favors. In some contexts or circumstances, sexual harassment is illegal. It includes a range of behavior from seemingly mild transgressions and...
, copyright
Copyright
Copyright is a legal concept, enacted by most governments, giving the creator of an original work exclusive rights to it, usually for a limited time...
, and issues involving privacy
Privacy
Privacy is the ability of an individual or group to seclude themselves or information about themselves and thereby reveal themselves selectively...
. These issues are dismissed as being less important than the value of freedom of speech. Godwin argues for individuals to be given latitude when utilizing the power of speech on the internet because "it's far more likely that they'll do good than otherwise. This is because freedom of speech is itself a good. The framers of the Constitution were right to give it special protection, because societies in which people can speak freely are better off than societies in which they can't".
The author discusses influential legal cases including a judgment involving Compuserve
CompuServe
CompuServe was the first major commercial online service in the United States. It dominated the field during the 1980s and remained a major player through the mid-1990s, when it was sidelined by the rise of services such as AOL with monthly subscriptions rather than hourly rates...
, where the court ruled that the Internet service provider
Internet service provider
An Internet service provider is a company that provides access to the Internet. Access ISPs directly connect customers to the Internet using copper wires, wireless or fiber-optic connections. Hosting ISPs lease server space for smaller businesses and host other people servers...
should be deemed similar to a bookstore, and not be held guilty for publicizing potentially offensive speech. He recounts the legal case Steve Jackson Games, Inc. v. United States Secret Service
Steve Jackson Games, Inc. v. United States Secret Service
Steve Jackson Games, Inc. v. United States Secret Service, 816 F.Supp. 432 , is a legal case that resulted from a raid by the United States Secret Service on the Austin headquarters of Steve Jackson Games in 1990...
which followed after a raid by the United States Secret Service
United States Secret Service
The United States Secret Service is a United States federal law enforcement agency that is part of the United States Department of Homeland Security. The sworn members are divided among the Special Agents and the Uniformed Division. Until March 1, 2003, the Service was part of the United States...
in 1990 on Steve Jackson Games
Steve Jackson Games
Steve Jackson Games is a game company, founded in 1980 by Steve Jackson, that creates and publishes role-playing, board, and card games, and the gaming magazine Pyramid.-History:...
, and his involvement influencing the media relating to the incident. He cites the LaMacchia case, which dealt with charges of copyright infringement of software
Copyright infringement of software
Copyright infringement of software=The copyright infringement of software refers to several practices which involve the unauthorized copying of computer software. Copyright infringement of this kind varies globally...
subsequently dismissed. An incident at Santa Rosa Junior College
Santa Rosa Junior College
Santa Rosa Junior College is a community college located in the city of Santa Rosa in Sonoma County, California. Founded in 1918, it is the tenth oldest community college in the state. Santa Rosa Junior College was modeled as a "junior" version of nearby University of California at Berkeley...
which involved issues of free speech and gender discrimination is discussed and analyzed in the book.
Godwin analyzes the effects of a 1995 cover story "Cyberporn" in TIME
Time
Time is a part of the measuring system used to sequence events, to compare the durations of events and the intervals between them, and to quantify rates of change such as the motions of objects....
magazine and writings by Martin Rimm that discussed the impact of Internet pornography
Internet pornography
Internet pornography is pornography that is distributed by means of various sectors of the Internet, primarily via websites, peer-to-peer file sharing, or Usenet newsgroups...
. He explains how the theories of the study presented in the "Cyberporn" article in TIME were discredited. Godwin calls the incident following the TIME article the "cyber-porn panic"; noting how the magazine published a cover story on a purported "study" of pornography on the Internet and how he and others exposed flaws in the piece.
He cites the Communications Decency Act of 1996 (CDA) as an example of U.S. government action which cramps free speech. Godwin describes the subsequent actions to defeat the CDA. The Supreme Court of the United States
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
held two contested sections of the CDA as unconstitutional, and Godwin recounts how he became emotional in agreement with the decision. A thesis which Godwin emphasizes throughout the book is that "the remedy for the abuse of free speech is more speech". Cyber Rights puts forth the notion that "virtual communities" can be fostered on the Internet which serve to improve values of democracy. "The decisions we make about the Internet don't affect just the Internet – they are answers to basic questions about the relationship each citizen has to the government and about the extent to which we trust one another with the full range of fundamental rights granted by the Constitution," writes Godwin.
Reception
Cyber Rights was reviewed favorably in Library JournalLibrary Journal
Library Journal is a trade publication for librarians. It was founded in 1876 by Melvil Dewey . It reports news about the library world, emphasizing public libraries, and offers feature articles about aspects of professional practice...
, where it was described as "a provocative discussion of the social and legal issues concerning computer online communications". The review noted that Godwin, "provides an excellent background to the governmental and privacy dimensions of the Internet, using anecdotal accounts to illustrate web-related legal issues." Library Journal concluded, "Recommended for anyone concerned about expression on the Internet and democratic society." Booklist
Booklist
Booklist is a publication of the American Library Association that provides critical reviews of books and audiovisual materials for all ages. It is geared toward libraries and booksellers and is available in print or online...
observed, "He wants us to understand that the principles upon which this country is founded are unquestionably worth the risk. He passionately defends, in clear, one-two-three soundbites, the online freedom he wants his daughter to inherit, and he insists that his readers untangle the meanings behind the use of words such as indecency and pornography to frighten and to confuse." Booklist recommended Cyber Rights be carried in libraries, concluding, "Most libraries will want copies for both circulating and professional collections."
Cyber Rights received a positive review in Salon
Salon.com
Salon.com, part of Salon Media Group , often just called Salon, is an online liberal magazine, with content updated each weekday. Salon was founded by David Talbot and launched on November 20, 1995. It was the internet's first online-only commercial publication. The magazine focuses on U.S...
, which noted, "Readers of 'Cyber Rights' will range from those who have never heard of Mike Godwin to those who have tangoed with him online at some point or have at least lurked silently as the debate raged. Whatever the number in the first category, those falling into the second are legion. Godwin has been online so long he's had a celebrated law that predicts the course of online discussions named after him." The review observed, "Throughout 'Cyber Rights,' it becomes clear that what makes Godwin a sometimes unpleasant online sparring partner is precisely what has catapulted him to the front lines in the seemingly endless battles for free speech on the Net. ... his tenacity and his insistence on wrestling every last breath out of his opponents' arguments." Salon characterized the book as, "an instructional book with an argument to convey – a sort of cross between a dry, textbookish primer and a lively personal history."
Columbia Journalism Review
Columbia Journalism Review
The Columbia Journalism Review is an American magazine for professional journalists published bimonthly by the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism since 1961....
gave the book a favorable review, noting, "This is a lively, garrulous account by an activist who was deeply involved in turning back the threat of regulation and, at least for the time being, securing rights of free expression online." The review described the latter portion of the book as "a more intense personal chronicle of Godwin's deep involvement in what he calls the 'cyberporn panic' – the push to control Internet content." Columbia Journalism Review concluded, "Ultimately, Godwin shows, this strong response laid the groundwork for lawsuits that enabled the Supreme Court to declare the 'decency' amendment unconstitutional. He was in the thick of things throughout this effort, and his journal lets the reader relive the tension and uncertainty of trying to halt a media stampede before it crushed everything in its path."
School Library Journal
School Library Journal
The School Library Journal is a monthly magazine with articles and reviews for school librarians, media specialists, and public librarians who work with young people. Articles cover a wide variety of topics, with a focus on technology and multimedia. Reviews are included for preschool to 4th grade,...
recommended the book for young readers, and commented, "Teens growing up with the Net aren't likely to find a better roadmap to the issues affecting their First Amendment future there than this book." The New York Times Book Review
The New York Times Book Review
The New York Times Book Review is a weekly paper-magazine supplement to The New York Times in which current non-fiction and fiction books are reviewed. It is one of the most influential and widely read book review publications in the industry. The offices are located near Times Square in New York...
was critical of Godwin's writing style in the book, and observed, "He writes in a strong, piercing voice that probably does wonders in a courtroom, but comes off increasingly shrill over several hundred pages of commentary, and at one point fairly warns his reader, 'Subtlety isn't my strong point.'" The Journal of Information Ethics wrote, "This is less an analytic study than a personal survey of situations or occurrences articulated in an informal, colloquial, and anecdotal fashion. It is not aimed at the intelligentsia or legal profession, although members of these groups would certainly benefit from the details." The review concluded, "The details are sometimes overwhelming, but for those who wish to know everything, this is a good place to start."
The Philadelphia Inquirer
The Philadelphia Inquirer
The Philadelphia Inquirer is a morning daily newspaper that serves the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, metropolitan area of the United States. The newspaper was founded by John R. Walker and John Norvell in June 1829 as The Pennsylvania Inquirer and is the third-oldest surviving daily newspaper in the...
highlighted Cyber Rights among "1998's Best Reading", and concluded, "Often reads, as Godwin intends, as a handbook for free-speech activism". A review in the San Antonio Express-News
San Antonio Express-News
The San Antonio Express-News is the daily newspaper of San Antonio, Texas. It is ranked as the third-largest daily newspaper in the state of Texas in terms of circulation, and is one of the leading news sources of South Texas, with offices in Austin, Brownsville, Laredo, and Mexico City...
concluded, "'Cyber Rights' is an extremely important book, one that anyone who accesses the Internet should read. Those who support the causes Godwin fights against aren't going to be happy with it, because he pokes some big holes in their arguments. But one of the bedrock freedoms we all enjoy is freedom of speech, and Godwin makes an elegant defense in its behalf." The Dallas Morning News
The Dallas Morning News
The Dallas Morning News is the major daily newspaper serving the Dallas, Texas area, with a circulation of 264,459 subscribers, the Audit Bureau of Circulations reported in September 2010...
characterized the book as a multifacted legal instructive work, and commented, "Part philosophical musings, part legal primer, part history and part political analysis, the book touches on just about every facet of how the Internet is transforming free-speech issues." The Houston Chronicle
Houston Chronicle
The Houston Chronicle is the largest daily newspaper in Texas, USA, headquartered in the Houston Chronicle Building in Downtown Houston. , it is the ninth-largest newspaper by circulation in the United States...
wrote, "Godwin makes a passionate case for ensuring the online world has the same civil rights as the 'real' world." Writing in the book Internet and the Law, author Aaron Schwabach comments, "The book takes an anticensorship position, but it presents all sides of the various questions fairly and completely."
CommLaw Conspectus of The Catholic University of America
The Catholic University of America
The Catholic University of America is a private university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States. It is a pontifical university of the Catholic Church in the United States and the only institution of higher education founded by the U.S. Catholic bishops...
noted, "Cyber Rights brims with anecdotes and behind-the-scenes looks at the people and organizations struggling with the [reality] and potential of the information superhighway
Information superhighway
The information superhighway or infobahnwas a popular term used through the 1990s to refer to digital communication systems and the Internet telecommunications network. It is associated with United States Senator and later Vice-President Al Gore....
." A review of the book in The Green Bag
The Green Bag
The Green Bag: An Entertaining Journal of Law is a legal journal supported in part by George Mason University School of Law and is dedicated to publishing "good writing" about the law. Founded in 1997 by three former-classmates of the University of Chicago Law School , The Green Bag is published...
concluded, "Overall, Godwin seems to be preaching to the choir, rather than making legal arguments to win over converts. Lower publication costs do increase the possibility of publication, but, standing alone, may not justify replacing the legal regimes developed over time to regulate expression - legal regimes which, for the most part, have endured through previous revolutions in the technology of disseminating information. Theology, which calls on faith, and economics, which calls on reason and empiricism, may not be compatible. But the Internet is about a shift in the economics of expression, not a theological revolution in how the First Amendment affects society, and when the project is getting the legal prescriptions right, all of the implications must be taken seriously."
Publishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly, aka PW, is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers and literary agents...
commented that in the book Godwin put forth "an unusually broad view of free speech". The review noted that by citing noteworthy legal cases affecting free speech online, "he frames nicely some of the issues raised by the encounter of the 200-year-old Bill of Rights and the cutting-edge Internet." Publishers Weekly wrote that by the end of the book, "his arguments have become predictable – or flimsy, as when he implies that the Net poses no new risks with its dissemination of dangerous information, such as bomb-making instructions, because libraries have carried such information for years." The review concluded, "Godwin's book is a thoughtful examination of an important subject, but its thoughts seem too often filtered through rose-colored screens."
In a review of the revised and updated 2003 edition of the book, Law Library Journal wrote, "Cyber Rights: Defending Free Speech in the Digital Age is a book that can help the uninitiated become familiar with the issues and arguments that have shaped the debate over regulating cyberspace." The review noted, "Cyber Rights was inspired by Godwin's unwavering belief that an uncensored Internet can transform society into a true democracy. It is an exceptionally personal work and resembles an online journal. ... The book, written in the first person, has a casual and conversational style. As the reader is able to 'hear' the author's voice, Cyber Rights is extremely easy to read." Law Library Journal criticized the book for being repetitive, and for dismissing arguments of his opponents as "an irrational fear of the unknown (i.e., cyberspace) or as a poor understanding of case law or the Framers' intent". The review acknowledged, "Cyber Rights is a good introduction to the world of cyberspace and the legal issues that affect the Internet. It presents, in a readable style, a passionate perspective on an emerging area of law." Law Library Journal recommended the book for "large academic law libraries".
See also
- Godwin's lawGodwin's LawGodwin's law is a humorous observation made by Mike Godwin in 1990 that has become an Internet adage...
Books
- Code and Other Laws of CyberspaceCode and Other Laws of CyberspaceCode and Other Laws of Cyberspace is a book by Lawrence Lessig. It has evolved into a partially wiki-written book Code v2 under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.5 License.- Main topic :...
- The Hacker CrackdownThe Hacker CrackdownThe Hacker Crackdown: Law and Disorder on the Electronic Frontier is a work of nonfiction by Bruce Sterling first published in 1992.The book discusses watershed events in the hacker subculture in the early 1990s...
- Internet and Technology Law Desk ReferenceInternet and Technology Law Desk ReferenceInternet and Technology Law Desk Reference is a non-fiction book about information technology law, written by Michael Dennis Scott. The book uses wording from legal cases to define information technology jargon, and gives citations to individual lawsuits. Scott received his B.S. degree from...
- The Law of Cyber-SpaceThe Law of Cyber-SpaceThe Law of Cyber-Space is a book by Ahmad Kamal, Senior Fellow at the United Nations Institute for Training and Research on the subject of Cyber law....
- Small Pieces Loosely JoinedSmall Pieces Loosely JoinedSmall Pieces Loosely Joined: A Unified Theory of the Web is a book by David Weinberger published by Perseus Publishing in 2002...
- Who Controls the Internet?Who Controls the Internet?Who Controls the Internet? Illusions of a Borderless World is a 2006 book by Jack Goldsmith and Tim Wu that offers an assessment of the struggle to control the Internet. Starting with a discussion of the early vision of a borderless global community, the authors present some of the most prominent...
Law centers
- Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard Law SchoolHarvard Law SchoolHarvard Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it is the oldest continually-operating law school in the United States and is home to the largest academic law library in the world. The school is routinely ranked by the U.S...
- Norwegian Research Center for Computers and LawNorwegian Research Center for Computers and LawNorwegian Research Center for Computers and Law at the University of Oslo is the second-oldest academic institution in the world working specifically with the interrelationship of law and information / communication technology...
- Stanford Center for Internet and SocietyStanford Center for Internet and SocietyThe Center for Internet and Society is a public interest technology law and policy program founded in 2000 by Lawrence Lessig at Stanford Law School and a part of Law, Science and Technology Program at Stanford Law School...
, at Stanford Law SchoolStanford Law SchoolStanford Law School is a graduate school at Stanford University located in the area known as the Silicon Valley, near Palo Alto, California in the United States. The Law School was established in 1893 when former President Benjamin Harrison joined the faculty as the first professor of law...
External links
- Cyber Rights: About the Author, Panix.com
- Mikegodwin, profile at Wikimedia FoundationWikimedia FoundationWikimedia Foundation, Inc. is an American non-profit charitable organization headquartered in San Francisco, California, United States, and organized under the laws of the state of Florida, where it was initially based...
- Cyber Rights, College of Behavioral and Social Sciences, University of MarylandUniversity of MarylandWhen the term "University of Maryland" is used without any qualification, it generally refers to the University of Maryland, College Park.University of Maryland may refer to the following:...
- Cyber Rights, The MIT Press
- What Every Citizen Should Know About DRM