Threats to Creativity and We Media:

Internet Neutrality
 Lesson Aims:
• Understand the reaction of big business to We Media
approaches to creativity (Leadebetter’s We Think)

• Understand the importance of internet freedom to

innovation and how they may be threatened by
copyright laws.
 Emerging Business Models
Consumers
Producers ARE
communicate to A Conversation Producers
Consumers A Lecture
Driven by
Technology
Driven by /Consensus
Static
Profits

BIG Evolving We
MEDIA Media
Top Down Bottom Up

Mass Production Declining Mass Innovation

Growing
 Benefits of Innovation Economy
• No Gatekeeping/Freedom of information
• Collaboration/Connecting Groups Around
the World
• Open-Sourcing
• Working for Socialisation/Recognition not
for Profits
 The Big Media Reaction
• Uses ideas of innovation as
marketing/features of its own
products

• Wants to retain control of what

is done with their products

• Objects STRONGLY to their

products becoming part of the
Conversation. (Used,
commented on, Re-used)

• As a result: Copyright law has

become a big part of their
business.
 Threats to Innovation
• Changes to Net Neutrality
(Government/Corporate Control)
• Copyright Law

Consumers
ARE
A Conversation
Producers

BIG MEDIA Driven by

Technolo
gy/Conse
nsus
Evolving
We
Media

Bottom
Up
Growing
 Internet Neutrality
• As old as the internet
itself

• It’s greatest strength

• Under Threat because we

rely on government laws
and corporate Internet
Service Providers to
access it.
 Article Study: Digital Economy Bill
Work Individually and answer the following questions on your own wiki
page inside the Internet Neutrality page.

1. What does the article suggest this new law is about?

2. Who does it benefit?
3. Why is it being rushed through now?
4. What does it potentially mean for users?
5. What does it potentially mean for ISP’s? (Internet Service Providers –
BT, TalkTalk etc)
6. How could it affect internet freedom?
7. Would it affect your We Media tool you studied yesterday? Consider
what the site does and/or how people use it)
8. Write at least two paragraphs giving your opinion on the following:
1. Does this Bill actually pose a threat to internet freedom and the innovation
economy?
2. Either way does a single national government have the right/responsibility to
control what its citizens have the right to access on the internet good or
bad?