User Innovation
Overview
Wednesday, 2:30-3:30pm
Format: Introductory Remarks followed by Roundtable Discussion
Lead: Eric von Hippel
Moderator: William Fisher
Participants: Charlie Nesson, Yochai Benkler, Chris Bavitz, and others
This case study build upon the IP session and will explore the creation of unique works, free and fair use, and other related issues through the prism of user innovation. Eric von Hippel will begin the discussion with an overview of new forms of user creativity and production in the online space, facilitated by the proliferation of freely available information online, the ease with which people can communicate digitally, and advances in innovating technology. This overview will segue into a moderated discussion, led by Terry Fisher, which will engage von Hippel and others in exploring models that exemplify the benefits of cheap and easy production while also examining the challenges such as copyright issues surrounding the reappropriation and alteration of original sources that may inhibit users’ capacity to innovate
Required Readings
- Eric von Hippel, The Sources of Innovation, (Oxford: Oxford University Press) 1988.
- Eric Von Hippel, Democratizing Innovation, (Cambridge:MIT Press) 2005.
Recommended Readings
- William W. Fisher, The Implications for Law of User Innovation Minnesota Law Review, Vol. 94, No. 5, (May 6, 2010).