Technology and the Public Interest
Books, essays, and commentary from John Palfrey
Essays
Notes from AI Action Summit in Delhi, India, February 2026
Reflections on AI, governance, and the public interest from the AI Action Summit in Delhi.
Read essayConcord Free Public Library 150th Anniversary Celebration
Remarks on libraries, civic institutions, and the enduring importance of public knowledge.
Read essayInvesting in the Arts—in Chicago and Beyond
Thoughts on philanthropy, culture, and why investing in the arts matters for public life.
Read essayCommentary from John Palfrey
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42 days? For Jim's story, closer to 42 hours.
Jim Moore’s provocative Second Superpower piece is pegged as the first major “googlewash.” This story tears me in all sorts of directions. A quote: “…Moore is an overnight A-list blogging superstar, at his very first attempt.”
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All-School meeting at HLS today
Dean R. Clark and President L. Summers have just called for an all-school meeting at 1:45 today for an “important announcement.” Sounds like we’ll have a new dean this afternoon.
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IDG calls the day a "road bump" for MPAA
Paul Roberts wrote a nice wire story about the Massachusetts hearing today. The last quote is a good one: “When you’ve got Verizon, the American Electronics Association, Harvard Law School, and the ponytail gang all against you, then you’ve got a problem.”
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Testimony against mini-DMCA in Masschusetts
Here’s a more or less final version of my testimony today at the MA State House on House No. 2743.
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Derek Slater's report of mini-DMCA hearing today.
We’re on the same page. Sorry only that the committee didn’t get to hear Derek’s rousing speech, due, I suspect, to the encroachments of having to attend class. He posts also a good set of notes from the first part of the session here.
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Sing, Canaries, Sing
“Software developers are the canaries in the coal mine,” said one particularly astute testifier at this morning’s hearing at the Massachusetts State House on the mini-DMCA bill proposed here. The canaries were out in force today, and it was a great sight to behold. It was a pretty amazing session. A grade-school civics teacher —…
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Lydon on war
Christopher Lydon writes tonight about “Rummy Run Amok” and other key story-lines in the unfolding war. He’s also into Jim Moore’s Second Superpower piece. (Note to self and Dave: perhaps we should show Chris a trick or two about hypertext links.)
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Revision to MA bill changes the ISP-like definition *again*
Some lawyer has edited the proposed MA mini-DMCA’s definition of ISP again, from “Communication Service Provider” to “Telecommunication Service Provider”. Talk about adding value. Not to mention confusion.
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Public Hearing 4/2/03 on Rep. Tobin's MA "state DMCA" bill
Rep. Tobin’s bill, updated as of today, will be discussed at a public hearing tomorrow, April 2, 2003 at 10:00 a.m. in the Massachusetts State House Room 222.
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Jim's article gets picked up
The famous Doc Searls is onto Jim‘s Second Superpower piece. I suspect he won’t be the only one to generate buzz about it.
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Jim Moore on the Second Superpower
Jim Moore has written a brilliant piece on what he sees as the emerging challenge to US hegemony. Blogging, texting, the Net all play critical roles in his story. There’s also an html version available. He’s on to something big.
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MA bill on illegal access (and more) muddies the waters
There’s been a fair amount of critique already about Rep. Tobin’s bill in Massachusetts “to establish a crime of illegal internet and broadband access and establishing penalties therefor.” That’s a euphamism; see for yourself. There’s a lot not to like in this bill. Given what others have already noted, I’m focused now on a tiny little part. I’m…