Ruling the Root

Internet Governance and the Taming of Cyberspace

Milton L. Mueller

$79.99

Paperback

Not in-store but you can order this
How long will it take?

Availability Information

We source books from suppliers in Australia and overseas. For books we don't currently have in stock, the time it takes to get them from our suppliers can vary widely - from a few days to a few months - so we check each book with each supplier to determine the expected time it will take to be supplied to us.

We then advise you accordingly. If the time taken to get any book is too long for you, you can let us know and we will cancel or adjust your order, and refund as required.

To find out the anticipated arrival time for specific items prior to ordering, please contact us by phone or email:

Phone +61 2 9264 3111, or 1800 4 BOOKS (1800 4 26657) if outside Sydney:
option 1 Abbey's Bookshop (Crime, History, Science, Kids & more) • info@abbeys.com.au
option 2 Language Book Centre (ESL & Foreign Languages) • language@abbeys.com.au
option 3 Galaxy Bookshop (Sci-fi, Fantasy, Romance, Graphic Novels) • sf@galaxybooks.com.au

QTY:

English

MIT Press
30 January 2004

Politics & government; Information technology industries; Ethical & social aspects of computing; Legal aspects of computing; Internet guides & online services

Series: Ruling the Root

In Ruling the Root, Milton Mueller uses the theoretical framework of institutional economics to analyze the global policy and governance problems created by the assignment of Internet domain names and addresses. ""The root"" is the top of the domain name hierarchy and the Internet address space. It is the only point of centralized control in what is otherwise a distributed and voluntaristic network of networks. Both domain names and IP numbers are valuable resources, and their assignment on a coordinated basis is essential to the technical operation of the Internet. Mueller explains how control of the root is being leveraged to control the Internet itself in such key areas as trademark and copyright protection, surveillance of users, content regulation, and regulation of the domain name supply industry.

Control of the root originally resided in an informally organized technical elite comprised mostly of American computer scientists. As the Internet became commercialized and domain name registration became a profitable business, a six-year struggle over property rights and the control of the root broke out among Internet technologists, business and intellectual property interests, international organizations, national governments, and advocates of individual rights. By the late 1990s, it was apparent that only a new international institution could resolve conflicts among the factions in the domain name wars. Mueller recounts the fascinating process that led to the formation of a new international regime around ICANN, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers. In the process, he shows how the vaunted freedom and openness of the Internet is being diminished by the institutionalization of the root.

By: Milton L. Mueller
Imprint: MIT Press
Country of Publication: United States
Edition: New edition
Dimensions: Height: 229mm, Width: 152mm, Spine: 17mm
Weight: 544g
ISBN: 9780262632980
ISBN 10: 0262632985
Series: Ruling the Root
Pages: 328
Publication Date: 30 January 2004
Recommended Age: From 18 years
Audience: Professional and scholarly , Undergraduate
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Milton L. Mueller is Professor at Syracuse University's School of Information Studies. He is the author of Ruling the Root- Internet Governance and the Taming of Cyberspace (MIT Press, 2002) and other books.

Reviews for Ruling the Root: Internet Governance and the Taming of Cyberspace

"""In Milton L. Mueller's hands, the story of how the Net came to be administered is riveting, illuminating, depressing, and enraging. In effortless, lucid prose Mueller documents and explains precisely how 'Internet governance' has evolved from the enlightened despotism of a technological elite to a tool of special interests intent on protecting and expanding the control of intellectual property online."" - Andrew Leonard, Salon"""