Listen In: Cyberlaw on the Radio

Recently, several pieces on NPR have highlighted divisive issues in Internet law, copyright, and technology. Last week, a segment on Morning Edition focused on a standoff between Harvard students battling for legal claim to college-based social networking software. And a segment on All Things Considered focused on the recent court decision against Diebold and its misuse of copyright law to stifle speech. In the piece, Berkman Professor Jonathan Zittrain explains how Diebold's cease-and-desist letters can intimidate recipients and chill free speech: "They come on a law firm letterhead, and they mention thousands of dollars of liability. And it can scare people because people don't have the money or the wherewithal to challenge an accusation of copyright infringement, and they'll simply back down."