The expansion of the Internet as a major component of the knowledge-based society has been one of the more important economic, social and political developments of the past decades. It is commonly claimed that this “revolution” has been unplanned by any government and has flourished precisely because the Net and its users have been largely free of regulation by any government. Actually, rules have been set quite rapidly in cyberspace, and contrary to what the cyber-libertarians have been arguing, digital technologies have not severed the historical links between market and state.

This book analyzes the role of governance issues in the development of the Internet and the digital economy. Some of the relevant policy issues, like competition policy and intellectual property rights, are actually not new or specific to the Internet. The problems raised by taxation of cyber activities may be considered more specific. Immaterial and transnational activities nevertheless raise a number of difficult problems for regulators in various areas from privacy to competition issues. Not all policy issues relating to the Internet can or should be resolved globally, though. This book considers several which are likely to be resolved in one way or another at the national level.

The papers in this volume focus on governance issues, but also analyze the underlying technological and economic trends. Two papers in particular consider the prospective evolution of Internet uses, including in developing countries, and the development of ubiquitous networks.

Online Chapters

- Introduction of Governance Issues in the Digital Economy, by Frédérique Sachwald 
- Conclusion Governance Issues in the Digital Economy, by Frédérique Sachwald