Recently， these complexities have taken many forms， three notable examples being the Jake Baker incident， in which the limits of obscene Internet postings were at issue， the controversial distribution of the DeCSS code， and Gutnick vs. Dow Jones， in which libel laws were considered in the context of online publishing. The last example was particularly significant because it epitomized the complexities inherent to applying one country s laws （ nation-specific by definition） to the Internet （ international by nature） . In 2003， Jonathan Zittrain considered this issue in his paper， Be Careful What You Ask For： Reconciling a Global Internet and Local Law.
Governance
The unique structure of the Internet has raised several judicial concerns. While grounded in physical computers and other electronic devices， the Internet is independent of any geographic location. While real individuals connect to the Internet and interact with others， it is possible for them to withhold personal information and make their real identities anonymous. If there are laws that could govern the Internet， then it appears that such laws would be fundamentally different from laws that geographic nations use today.
In their essay Law and Borders—The Rise of Law in Cyberspace， David Johnson and David Post offer a solution to the problem of Internet governance. Given the Internet s unique situation， with respect to geography and identity， Johnson and Post believe that it becomes necessary for the Internet to govern itself. Instead of obeying the laws of a particular country， Internet citizens will obey the laws of electronic entities like service providers. Instead of identifying as a physical person， Internet citizens will be known by their usernames or email addresses. Since the Internet defies geographical boundaries， national laws will no longer apply. Instead， an entirely new set of laws will be created to address concerns like intellectual property and individual rights. In effect， the Internet will exist as its own sovereign nation.
Even if the Internet represents a legal paradigm shift， Johnson and Post do not make clear exactly how or by whom the law of the Internet will be enforced. Instead， the authors see market mechanisms， like those that medieval merchants used， guiding Internet citizens actions like Adam Smith s invisible hand. Yet， the more physical locations go online， the greater the potential for physical manifestation of electronic misdeeds. What do we do when someone electronically turns off the hospital lights？
While there is some United States law that does restrict access to materials on the Internet， it does not truly filter the Internet. Many Asian and Middle Eastern nations use any number of combinations of code-based regulation （ one of Lessig s four methods of net regulation） to block material that their governments have deemed inappropriate for their citizens to view.
extraterritorial / ekstr teri t ri l/adj. 治外法权，不受管辖的
intrude /in tru d/vi.闯入，强挤入
compromise / k mpr maiz /n.妥协，折中vi.妥协处理，妥协，让步
neutrality /nju tr liti /n.中立
anonymity /n nimiti/n.匿名，笔者不明
obscene / b si n/adj.淫秽的，猥亵的
epitomize /i pit maiz/vt.摘要，概括
paradigm / p r daim/n.例，范式，词形变化表
filter /filt /vt.过滤；渗透；用过滤法除去
freedom of expressi on 言论自由
com e to the fore出名，崭露头角
subject to易受的，使服从；使遭受；受支配
l egalpracti ti oner开业律师，法律实践者
net neutral i ty网络中立
I nternet censorshi p网络监控；互联网监管
I nternet governance网路治理
physi calperson自然人
1. reedom of expression （言论自由）： In most cases， this term is synonymous with the erm“freedomof speech”. Freedomof speech is the freedom to speak without censorship and/or limitation. The synonymous term freedom of expression is sometimes used to indicatenot only freedomof verbal speech but any act of seeking， receiving and imparting information or ideas， regardless of the medium used. In practice， the right to freedom of speech is not absolute in any country and the right is commonly subject to limitations.
2.awrence Lessig （劳伦斯·莱斯格） ： LawrenceLarry Lessig （ bornJune3， 1961） is an American academic and political activist. He is best known as a proponent of reduced legal restrictions on copyright， trademark， and radio frequency spectrum， particularly in technology applications.
3.et neutrality （网络中立） ： Net neutrality （ also network neutrality， Internet neutrality） s a principle proposed for user access networks participating in the Internet that advocates no restrictions on content， sites， or platforms， on the kinds of equipment that may be attached， and on the modes of communication allowed， as well as communication that is not unreasonably degraded by other traffic. The principle states that if a given user pays for a certain level of Internet access， and another user pays for a given level of access， that the two users should beableto connect to each other at thesubscribed level of access.
4.eCSS （破解DVD格式）： DeCSS is a computer programcapableof decrypting content on a commercially produced DVD video disc. Before the release of DeCSS， there was no way for computers running theGNU/Linux operating systemto play video DVDs. DeCSS was developed without a license from the DVD CCA， the organization responsible for DVD copy protection—namely， the Content-Scrambling System （ CSS ） used by commercial DVD publishers. The releaseof DeCSS resulted in a Norway criminal trial—and acquittal—of one of the authors of DeCSS； and the DVD CCA launched numerous lawsuits in the United States in an effort to stop the distribution of the software.
5.pen Net Initiative （开放网络促进会）： The Open Net Initiativeis a joint project whose goal is to monitor and report on Internet filtering and surveillance practices by nations. The project employs a number of technical means， as well as an international network of investigators， to determine the extent and nature of government-run Internet filtering programs.
I Reading comprehension.
