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Aims to present some theoretical considerations about the interaction between government regulation and technological innovation, in the specific case of an emerging environmental technology: biodegradable materials in Germany. Shows the important role regulation plays in the innovation process. However, regulation is only one part of the whole system which influences the development of a technological innovation.

The expansion of copyright and the shrinking of the public domain did not begin with the Internet, but the Internet has exacerbated the problem. The threat posed by digital technology has led industries to obtain increasingly absolute protection over their “property.” In this paper I will argue that developing a vibrant public domain is essential for resisting the overextension of copyrights and patents. Developing the public domain as a counterpoint to copyright and patent law is vital to an energized public sphere and by extension a democratic system.