WHO OWNS INFORMATION ? FROM PRIVACY TO PUBLIC ACCESS

As we plunge forward into the information age, new technologies for manipulating information are being widely developed. These advances allow names, purchasing trends, and other personal facts to be almost effortlessly transferred and traded in a relatively unregulated electronic marketplace. Along with the advantages of this free flow of information comes a loss to privacy as ever-increasing databases of personal information are traded in this new information arena. The regulation of this trade requires the balancing of the First Amendment ideal of free speech, the protections of privacy law, and rights guaranteed through intellectual property law. The tension these conflicting rights create is becoming a new battleground for legal academics and the legal system. Who Owns Information? From Privacy to Public Access attempts to identify and describe the current legal status of a number of information issues which have both privacy and property interests at stake. The book starts by stating the general proposition that there has been a transition in our society where information "has passed from being an instrument through which we acquire and manage other ~sets to being a primary asset itself" (p. 1). A series of case studies is then provided which help to illuminate both specific problems and their current treatment within the legal system. The book is written primarily for the lay person with an interest in information technologies and legal issues and requires no technical background in either of these areas. While this focus does make the book more accessible, it unfortunately prevents a deep exploration into issues that might be of interest to a professional. A foundation is developed