Cyber Rights: Defending Free Speech in the Digital Age

by Mike Godwin

Book Overview

A first-person account of the fight to preserve First Amendment rights in the digital age.Lawyer and writer Mike Godwin has been at the forefront of the struggle to preserve freedom of speech on the... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0812928342
• ISBN13: 9780812928341
• Release Date: June 1998
• Publisher: Crown Business
• Length: 333 Pages
• Weight: 1.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 6.5" x 9.6"

Customer Reviews

Interesting look at legal, political, human aspects of law

I bought this despite my fear that it would turn out to be yet another dry discussion of the same familiar five or six cases (Cubby, Stratton-Oakmont, Reno ..) concerning online behavior and liability. As an in-house attorney for an Internet startup, I figured I'd better be prepared to discuss the book with management and investors, irrespective of its actual utility. To my delight, the book turns out to be legally accurate and entertaining. Godwin's book - unlike others in the field - also reveals the human and political factors behind the cases and arguments which have now become familiar. I wouldn't have minded if it was a little bit less first-person focused, but that's a small quibble about what's overall an interesting and valuable book.

Explains much about the current Internet regulation wars

To me, this book was great backgrounder for the current fights over how and whether to regulate the Internet. In particular, the chapters about the legal issues and the social forces behind the Communications Decency Act explain pretty well what's going on now with the lawsuit against the CDA II.

An excellent introduction to cyberspace legal issues

I was surprised at how accessible a book this was. Although I'm familiar with cyberspace issues, I found even the handling of the issues I know to be informative and insightful. The progression of the book toward a conclusion in the defeat of the Communications Decency Act seems like a natural choice -- especially for a book that is framed as the memoir of a particular struggle to get freedom of speech recognized for cyberspace.

A keeper

Possibly the best book on cyberspace legal and social issues I've ever read.

prurience begins at home

If you're a prurient minor looking for the dirty parts, go straight to Chapter 10, for the low-down on a bill (The Communications Decency Act) that almost succeeded in making the internet one of the most boring mediums for adults and children alike. There's also some neat stuff about the seven dirty words that can be published here but can't be said on radio or TV. -- Liz W.