Seeing the Internet as an Ecosystem

Posted by Pamela Passman 
Corporate Vice President, Global Corporate Affairs

Earlier this week I participated on a panel about the future of Internet content and services at the Silicon Flatirons annual conference at the University of Colorado at Boulder.

Rocky Radar did a good job of reporting on the conference.  Stacey DoganEric Goldman, and Pamela Samuelson presented papers covering on-line trademark issues that may arise as a result of searches, the future of Wikipedia and the challenges of open and editable sites, and emerging on-line copyright issues respectively. 

In my summary remarks, I highlighted the common theme that emerged from these papers:  the need to create a healthy and vibrant ecosystem in which the interests of all stakeholders - content owners, content creators, technology and telecom companies, new and traditional business models - are considered. 

It seems to me there is an under-appreciation of the interdependent nature of the Internet ecosystem, and the positive impact of approaching policy debates with the ecosystem in mind.  One example, already in existence, where stakeholders came together for the benefit of the ecosystem is the industry’s development of the Principles for User generated Content Services.   

I’ve been pleased to see some discussion of these ideas in the days following the conference by Phil Weiserof Silicon Flatirons and Pierre de Vries.  I hope we continue to consider how an ecosystem approach can help firms succeed and all of us solve public-policy challenges.