Code：And Other Laws of Cyberspace, Version 2.0

The"alarmingandimpassioned"*bookonhowtheInternetisredefiningconstitutionallaw,nowreissuedasthefirstpopularbookrevisedonlinebyitsreaders(*NewYorkTimes)There'sacommonbeliefthatcyberspacecannotberegulated-thatitis,initsveryessence,immunefromthegovernment's(oranyoneelse's)control.Code,firstpublishedin2000,arguesthatthisbeliefiswrong.Itisnotinthenatureofcyberspacetobeunregulable;cyberspacehasno"nature."Itonlyhascode-thesoftwareandhardwarethatmakecyberspacewhatitis.Thatcodecancreateaplaceoffreedom-astheoriginalarchitectureoftheNetdid-oraplaceofoppressivecontrol.Undertheinfluenceofcommerce,cyberpsaceisbecomingahighlyregulablespace,wherebehaviorismuchmoretightlycontrolledthaninrealspace.Butthat'snotinevitableeither.Wecan-wemust-choosewhatkindofcyberspacewewantandwhatfreedomswewillguarantee.Thesechoicesareallaboutarchitecture:aboutwhatkindofcodewillgoverncyberspace,andwhowillcontrolit.Inthisrealm,codeisthemostsignificantformoflaw,anditisuptolawyers,policymakers,andespeciallycitizenstodecidewhatvaluesthatcodeembodies.Sinceitsoriginalpublication,thisseminalbookhasearnedthestatusofaminorclassic.Thissecondedition,orVersion2.0,hasbeenpreparedthroughtheauthor'swiki,awebsitethatallowsreaderstoeditthetext,makingthisthefirstreader-editedrevisionofapopularbook.