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There
is no doubt that today we are living in the societies of knowledge,
societies shaped by the information revolution, and run by
communication technologies. Their capability to allow sudden
ubiquity of information greatly contributes to the emergence of the
information era.
At
the dawn of this new age, the concept of “intellectual capital”
has been used for the first time to explain the importance of
intellectual resources - such as information, knowledge, and
experience - in the modern economy. Intellectual capital supplanted
industrial machinery and natural resources, and is today considered
one of the most valuable factors for the creation of wealth, being
at the same time source and final product. The management of
intellectual assets has therefore become the most important task of
business.
Information
and communication technologies contribute to knowledge management,
allowing seamless communication of information at real time anywhere
in the world. ICTs therefore contribute to the creation of new forms
of business, foster the growth of ‘virtual’ markets, and promote
the development of innovative avenues for social and political
expression.
The
new economic and social order, however, is bringing about new legal
and societal issues, which are generating a growing body of laws and
regulations, and fostering discussion within the international
community.
Some
of these issues regard the management of digital information and
knowledge, and the protection of intellectual property rights on the
Internet, where it is necessary to strike a delicate balance
between the need to protect authors' creations and encourage the
dissemination of original ideas while at the same time promoting the
public interest, allowing access to information and creative
exchange. Protection is necessary not only for on-line music or
written texts and information, but also for software: the debate on
“open source” software, i.e. a software which sources can be
accessed by users, is ongoing, and its economic consequences are
being considered.
The
continuous interaction between users and operators through the
Internet, on-line transactions, e-commerce, and electronic banking,
are also creating new concerns regarding the protection of users'
personal data, and creates a need for innovative systems
guaranteeing privacy and ensuring the source of the information
(authentication).
The
preparation of the World Summit on the Information Society offers a
unique forum for the discussion of these new topics. The following page offers
some background information to participants in the Summit, providing
links to official documents, international reports, news and web
pages.
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