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that deal with individual behavior. New or revised intellectual property laws should be drafted accordingly.

Recommendation: Policy makers should use the principles outlined in Box 6.2 [Chapter 6] in the formulation of intellectual property law and public policy.

A Final Word

Intellectual property will surely survive the digital age, although substantial time and effort may be required to achieve a workable balance between private rights and the public interest in information. Major adaptations may need to take place to ensure that content creators and rights holders have sufficient incentives to produce an extensive and diverse supply of intellectual property. Policy makers and stakeholders will have to work together to ensure that the important public purposes embodied in copyright law continue to be fulfilled in the digital context. The information infrastructure promises the possibility of greatly improved access to information for all of society. We as a society share the responsibility for developing reasonable compromises to allow the nation to benefit from the opportunities it can bring.