Lowy Institute for International Policy
Sydney, Australia
Apr 2nd, 2008
[A video version of this presentation with transcripts is available at Fora.tv]

Global solutions are required to match this global economy. Dr. Eisenach emphasizes the necessity of global institutions and frameworks to bring order to the Internet. There is a need for basic rules, and for enforcement.

Basic patterns of past and current usage are highlighted. The qualitative nature of the Internet has increased with the introduction of multimedia content, bringing an explosive rise of bandwidth usage. This content is changing today's culture and becoming part of people's lives. The Internet is quickly overtaking the popularity of the television in a wide range of areas.

Dr. Eisenach discusses the defensive and costly nature of national efforts for enforcing laws and catching bad guys. We hear about the limitations of these efforts which are often localized to one or a few specific nations, and easily avoided by criminals. The difficulties of enforcing laws across borders on the Internet creates the need for a global solution. Eisenach raises the idea of an "English common law" for the Internet which can help ensure competition, protect intellectual property and privacy, prevent fraud, foster transparency, support commercial transactions, and facilitate dispute resolution. Where we are today in trying to introduce such a law?  Eisenach argues that the institutions are already in place to deal with the apparent short-comings in the current state of this common law.

The presentation ends with a question and answer session where the topics range from the convergence of regulatory institutions, the throttling of file-sharing, and the differences between nations when it comes to deciding what is right and what is wrong.