Benkler

Benkler, Yochai, is an Israeli-American scholar of information law and economics known for his analysis of the Internet’s impact on production, markets, and freedom. He is a professor at Harvard Law School and has been affiliated with the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University.

His most influential work, The Wealth of Networks (2006), argues that digital networks enable a new mode of production—commons-based peer production—where large numbers of people collaborate voluntarily to create information and knowledge goods. This model can produce high-quality outputs at scale with relatively low marginal costs, challenging traditional market and hierarchical organizations for information-intensive goods. Benkler contrasts social production with firms and markets, emphasizing the roles of open standards, low transaction costs, modular design, and reputational incentives.

Beyond The Wealth of Networks, his research covers copyright policy, Internet governance, and the economics of information. He has written about how nonproprietary and user-generated content, open-source software, and collaborative platforms alter incentives and policy implications for creativity, media, and access to knowledge. His work has influenced scholars, policymakers, and debates about copyright reform, the structure of digital markets, and the governance of information commons.

Benkler’s contributions are widely cited in legal scholarship and policy discussions and remain central to conversations about the digital economy and the future of information production.