Initial Reflections on the Law and Economics of Blogging

Weblogs, or blogs, have proliferated and developed rapidly in recent years, and have attracted significant attention. Moreover, blogs have started to generate significant legal issues. Yet there is so far no coherent economic framework for addressing those issues. This article begins to develop such a framework. Building on blogs’ technical features, it identifies the unique aspects of blogs that should have legal ramifications. It then briefly applies this framework to a variety of legal issues. INITIAL REFLECTIONS ON THE LAW AND ECONOMICS OF BLOGGING Larry E. Ribstein* University of Illinois College of Law April 4, 2005 Abstract Weblogs, or blogs, have proliferated and developed rapidly in recent years, and have attracted significant attention. Moreover, blogs have started to generate significant legal issues. Yet there is so far no coherent economic framework for addressing those issues. This article begins to develop such a framework. Building on blogs’ technical features, it identifies the unique aspects of blogs that should have legal ramifications. It then briefly applies this framework to a variety of legal issues. * I am indebted to comments on the initial blog version of this paper posted on www.ideoblog.org March 21, 2005, and to comments at a workshop at the University of Illinois College of Law, March 29, 2005.