Peer-to-peer technology has made massive unsanctioned music exchange possible, which may have a profound effect on the recording industry. Record labels have responded to the emergence of online music networks with litigation and are also considering self-help measures. It is currently not...

We report evidence indicating that Bitnet adoption facilitated increased research collaboration between US universities. However, not all institutions benefited equally. Using panel data from seven top engineering journals, Bitnet connection records, and a variety of institution ranking data, we...

Widespread use of Internet-capable personal computers has enabled extremely powerful virtual computers or “grids”. These grids have applications for both business problems (e.g., automotive design) and social problems (e.g., drug evaluation). Many of these grids have sought to improve...

This case study is part of an ongoing series developed in support of a larger text on interoperability by John Palfrey and Urs Gasser Interop: The Promise and Perils of Highly Interconnected Systems (Basic Books, forthcoming, June 2012). The book is an extension of their 2007 study and paper,...

Onshore, generators are connected to the transmission grid by TSOs. This regulatory model could simply be extended to offshore (i.e. Germany), but the connection of offshore wind farms to shore is also an opportunity to test alternatives, i.e. the third party model (i.e. the UK) or the generator...

We assess the optimality of investments in power grid innovation, under both technological options of Super and Smart Grids, using the WITCH model in the version that includes Super-Grids. Super Grids allow producing and trading of electricity generated by large scale concentrated solar power...

The Internet's current numbering system is nearing exhaustion: Existing protocols allow only a finite set of computer numbers ("IP addresses"), and central authorities will soon deplete their supply. I evaluate a series of possible responses to this shortage: Sharing addresses impedes new...