About The Global Flow of Information

A Conference on Law, Culture, and Political Economy

Yale Law School

April 1-3, 2005 , New Haven, CT

Patterns of information flow are one of the most important factors shaping globalization. Today individuals, groups, countries, and international organizations are trying to promote and control the flow of different kinds of information across national borders; information ranging from intellectual property and scientific research to political discourse, brand names and cultural symbols. And digitally networked environments subject information to ever new methods of distribution and manipulation. Fights over information flow are going to help define who holds power in the global information economy.

This conference will explore these emerging patterns of information flow, and their political, economic, social, and cultural consequences. We will be looking at four key questions:

• Can the flow of information across borders be controlled? If so, how?
• Whose interests are going to be affected by flows of information across borders? Who will be empowered and who will lose influence and authority?
• What role can or should law play in securing freedoms, rights, and democratic accountability as individuals, groups, and nations struggle over control of information flows?
• What lessons can we learn about how to regulate information flow from past experience with other kinds of flow across borders— for example, flows of goods, services, people, and capital?