CYBERREGS [Hardcover]

Bill Zoellick (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0201722305 | ISBN-13: 978-0201722307 | Publication Date: September 4, 2001 | Edition: 1

"Exceedingly well analyzed and thoughtfully presented. Bill Zoellick has skillfully set out the leading e-Business issues and pulls no punches in challenging the conventional wisdom underlying current law and policy. A great jumping off point for understanding--or changing--today's crucial business trends."
--Sara Greenberg, e-Business Attorney at Testa, Hurwitz & Thibeault, LLP

"The author has fully and admirably accomplished the stated purpose of examining the disruption and instability that the Web has introduced into the world of intellectual property."
--Dan Carroll, Chairman, The Carroll Group

"In this well-written, engaging book, Zoellick examines the technical, business, and political angles of complex issues facing the Web today. The issues raised in CyberRegs are ones that every organization doing business on the Web will face. Zoellick offers business managers fresh insight into coping with these challenges and makes a cogent argument for participating in the political debate over how we will regulate the Net economy."
--Mark Walter, Senior Editor, The Seybold Report

"The book cuts a clear, original, and insightful path through a set of timely controversial legal and business issues. It helps business people build successful strategies for today's Internet business climate, and provides useful and practical perspective for all citizens concerned about the future direction of Internet policy."
--Adina Levin, Senior Director, Corporate Strategy, Vignette Corporation

"Zoellick gets it. The author realizes that business is built on knowledge and trust, and he doesn't pander to his audience in getting that point across. This book will give nontechies background, and then some, to address emerging technology issues in business."
--Sol Bermann, J.D. Legal Project Manager Technology Policy Ohio Supercomputer Center

"Mr. Zoellick pulls from his own experience to provide an interesting look at some of the most important issues confronting business in the future--the nature of the digital economy and the forces that will shape its future growth and development. This is a debate that every business in America needs to join."
--Jon Garon, Professor of Law, Franklin Pierce Law School

"The book is the best one-volume survey for a generalist about the changing law of the Internet circa 2001."
--Paul M. Schwartz, Professor of Law, Brooklyn Law School

"This is an excellent book.... I've not seen any books on intellectual property that come at the topics the same way."
--Capers Jones III, Chief Scientist Emeritus of Artemis Management Systems and Software Productivity Research

"Bill has provided a masterful overview of a complex area of the law, explained the legal precedents that have shaped part of patent and copyright law over the past years, and has wrapped it all in the thoughtful backdrop of the immature and rapidly changing e-business landscape."
--Randolph Kahn, ESQ

Government regulation and new legislation, coupled with technology, have the potential to dramatically change the nature of the World Wide Web. This thought-provoking book explains what effects regulation may have on business managers, their organizations, and the Web as we know it.

CyberRegs brings you up to speed on current developments in patent, copyright, digital signature, and privacy policies. Taking an even-handed approach to the debate between greater and lesser control of the Internet, this book provides fascinating background on recent Web legislation. It discusses in depth the many complex policy issues now being hotly debated, and speculates on possible future legal outcomes.

0201722305B09102001

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

"Exceedingly well analyzed and thoughtfully presented. Bill Zoellick has skillfully set out the leading e-Business issues and pulls no punches in challenging the conventional wisdom underlying current law and policy. A great jumping off point for understanding--or changing--today's crucial business trends."
--Sara Greenberg, e-Business Attorney at Testa, Hurwitz & Thibeault, LLP

"The author has fully and admirably accomplished the stated purpose of examining the disruption and instability that the Web has introduced into the world of intellectual property."
--Dan Carroll, Chairman, The Carroll Group

"In this well-written, engaging book, Zoellick examines the technical, business, and political angles of complex issues facing the Web today. The issues raised in CyberRegs are ones that every organization doing business on the Web will face. Zoellick offers business managers fresh insight into coping with these challenges and makes a cogent argument for participating in the political debate over how we will regulate the Net economy."
--Mark Walter, Senior Editor, The Seybold Report

"The book cuts a clear, original, and insightful path through a set of timely controversial legal and business issues. It helps business people build successful strategies for today's Internet business climate, and provides useful and practical perspective for all citizens concerned about the future direction of Internet policy."
--Adina Levin, Senior Director, Corporate Strategy, Vignette Corporation

"Zoellick gets it. The author realizes that business is built on knowledge and trust, and he doesn't pander to his audience in getting that point across. This book will give nontechies background, and then some, to address emerging technology issues in business."
--Sol Bermann, J.D. Legal Project Manager Technology Policy Ohio Supercomputer Center

"Mr. Zoellick pulls from his own experience to provide an interesting look at some of the most important issues confronting business in the future--the nature of the digital economy and the forces that will shape its future growth and development. This is a debate that every business in America needs to join."
--Jon Garon, Professor of Law, Franklin Pierce Law School

"The book is the best one-volume survey for a generalist about the changing law of the Internet circa 2001."
--Paul M. Schwartz, Professor of Law, Brooklyn Law School

"This is an excellent book.... I've not seen any books on intellectual property that come at the topics the same way."
--Capers Jones III, Chief Scientist Emeritus of Artemis Management Systems and Software Productivity Research

"Bill has provided a masterful overview of a complex area of the law, explained the legal precedents that have shaped part of patent and copyright law over the past years, and has wrapped it all in the thoughtful backdrop of the immature and rapidly changing e-business landscape."
--Randolph Kahn, ESQ

Government regulation and new legislation, coupled with technology, have the potential to dramatically change the nature of the World Wide Web. This thought-provoking book explains what effects regulation may have on business managers, their organizations, and the Web as we know it.

CyberRegs brings you up to speed on current developments in patent, copyright, digital signature, and privacy policies. Taking an even-handed approach to the debate between greater and lesser control of the Internet, this book provides fascinating background on recent Web legislation. It discusses in depth the many complex policy issues now being hotly debated, and speculates on possible future legal outcomes.

0201722305B09102001

About the Author

Bill Zoellick is currently a partner in and founder of Fastwater LLP, a consultancy focusing on helping companies build effective web businesses. He frequently writes about the issues addressed in Web Engagement and speaks on them at user conferences such as Seybold and Internet World and at various user associations and seminars. He has been a software developer, business owner, executive in a $100 million software company, and, most recently, a management consultant and business analyst.

0201722305AB05172001

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 307 pages
• Publisher: Addison-Wesley Professional; 1 edition (September 4, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0201722305
• ISBN-13: 978-0201722307
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 7.7 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,930,110 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A surprising must-read, even for technical people, September 29, 2001

By 

Richard Bejtlich "TaoSecurity" (Metro Washington, DC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: CYBERREGS (Hardcover)

I am a senior engineer for network security operations who frequently reviews technical books. I was hesitant to read "CyberRegs," given its "Business Guide" subtitle. Noticing the book mentioned controversial topics like the Digital Millenium Copyright Act (DMCA), Napster, and the DeCSS case, I decided I'd give "CyberRegs" a try. That proved to be a wise decision, and I strongly recommend this book to anyone worried about the future of the Internet.

The book is exceptionally well-written, with a clear style and a welcome lack of typos (gasp). In a former life I read plenty of boring, repetitive policy books, but I had no trouble digesting "CyberRegs."

The book is arranged around the themes of copyright, patents, electronic signatures, and privacy. "CyberRegs" gives both sides of each argument, but wisely includes the authors own helpful opinion. (I was pleased to see the author share many of the security community's views on the DMCA, Napster, and so on.) Because Zoellick presents balanced arguments, readers will understand the opposition's complaints and can more effectively counter them.

"CyberRegs" was written to help business people engage in the debates and legislation shaping the Internet. Along the way the reader gains a solid historical understanding of how we arrived at the current state of affairs. Would you believe that software or business methods weren't patentable until recently? Would you believe the United States was the world's most egregious intellectual property pirate until 1891? Given this background, readers gain a sense of why policies developed, and how one can help influence the present and future of the Internet.

I found no major weaknesses in this book or its arguments, but I have two technical/security comments. First, "Web bugs" can be used to transfer more information than an IP address; some use "Web bugs" to validate email addresses. Second, giving customers access to data collected by businesses opens bigger doors for malicious hackers to manipulate that data. Readers may share these concerns, which the author doesn't address.

"CyberRegs" seems marketed as a "business guide," and speaks in part to "business people." As a technical person, I gained the knowledge needed to better defend my opinions on copyright, patents, electronic signatures, and privacy. Technical staff looking for the "why" of state of the Internet will probably love this book -- I certainly did!

(Disclaimer: I received a free review copy from the publisher.)

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The other side of CI, November 8, 2001

By 

"kate_hartshorn" (Irvine, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: CYBERREGS (Hardcover)

Although CyberRegs has a much wider audience, my perspective of this book is that of a competitive intelligence specialist. The four topic areas covered, from a CI specialist's point of view are illuminating.

The first two topics, copyrights and patents, are the foundation of intellectual property and by extension, corporate and shareholder value. The author's discussion of both copyrights and patents expose loopholes that can work for or against you, depending on which side you are on. One theme the author repeatedly addresses is the fact that copyright and patent law is lagging behind the technology. He cites numerous case studies, all of which you will either applaud or condemn depending on which side of the issue you happen to be. As a CI specialist who engages in "white ops" (collection of competitive intelligence using legal methods), I was somewhat dismayed by aspects of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) because it draws legal boundaries that didn't previously exist. The CI community needs to be aware of this particular law because what was heretofore "white ops" may fall under black ops (illegal intelligence gathering) under the provisions of the DMCA.

The more technical topics, electronic signatures and privacy, are presented in the same balanced and thought-provoking way as copyrights and patents. Having recently read Bruce Schneier's SECRETS & LIES I had some insights into the technical aspects, but the nuances that Mr. Zoellick brings to these topics makes for compelling reading. He manages to raise thorny issues and provide answers from both sides of the issue.

Overall this is an invaluable book that should be read by anyone who seeks to understand the current state of intellectual property laws, the challenges imposed by the connected world, or how the laws and challenges combine to change the playing field. As stated above, the DMCA alone will have wide implications in my profession, and is certain to affect business operations and corporate policy in far ranging ways.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You don�t have to be a lawyer to appreciate CyberRegs, November 27, 2001

By 

Ben Rothke "Author of 'Computer Security: 20 ... (USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: CYBERREGS (Hardcover)

As book titles go, CyberRegs: A Business Guide to Web Property, Privacy, and Patents sounds uninteresting. Fortunately, what the book lacks in flashy titles, it makes up in interesting content. CyberRegs is an engrossing and sometimes angry look at the perverse nature of patent law.

When many people think of the Internet and e-commerce, they think of a series of open and non-proprietary standards that enable computers to speak networking Esperanto. As the book shows, that does not necessarily jive with reality. Many companies have tried to homestead on pioneering technologies and use them to gain a lock on the market. Author Bill Zoellick cites numerous cases -- many still in litigation -- to illustrate this point.

The book starts with a brief background of the nature of copyright and patent law and doesnt assume any type of legal background or expertise. Zoellicks writing style is easy going but to the point, and he accomplishes his goal of examining the disruption and instability that the Web has introduced into the world of intellectual property.

Zoellick looks at the Web from many different perspectives, from business and legal to technological and political. While some may think they don't need a book about Internet law and regulations, the reality is that, for any organization doing business on the Internet, there exists the strong possibility that they may be infringing on someone elses intellectual property rights.

One of the most controversial issues that the book looks at is one-click patents issued to Amazon.com. The one-click patents preclude any Internet business that has not licensed the technology from Amazon.com from enabling their customers to complete their purchasing experience with a single mouse click. The question of whether one-click is even patentable is a controversial one. Those who say it is, feel that Amazon.com is protecting a vital business asset. Those who dont support it say that it only serves to stifle productivity. Zoellick gives numerous other examples.

CyberRegs also goes into such issues as digital signature and privacy. Zoellick does not take sides, but provides a fair-minded look at the debate between greater and lesser control of privacy and the Internet. The book also tackles such controversial topics as the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, Napster and DeCSS.

In part 3, Zoellick provides an excellent overview of digital certificates. He goes into detail on the parameters around the groundbreaking E-SIGN (Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce) act. Many have complained that E-SIGN is extremely light on details and specifics, which it is.However, Zoellick says that with E-SIGN, Congress took the approach that we dont really understand how to do business on the Internet so issues surrounding authentication of electronic signatures are not necessarily easy problems to solve.With that, Congress restricted government action to the parts of the problem where they are directly involved and required.Congress recognized that for any effective solution, markets need time to develop and patience is required. Although this approach is hard when dealing with Internet time, it is nonetheless necessary.

You dont have to be a lawyer to appreciate CyberRegs. Anyone who wants to have a business presence on the Net should read this book so as not to get involved in a legal tussle. While John Grisham may own the legal fiction market, CyberRegs is as close to a non-fiction legal thriller as you can get.