Debate in Dublin with Feasta on May 8: Is Peer Production Sustainable?

[Michel Bauwens]

5. Sunday, May 8th, Central Hotel, Dublin (afternoon and evening)

               An Introduction to peer-to-peer

               Wikipedia and Linux are impressive examples of intellectual labour
created on and through the internet  but they don't fit conventional
economic theory as the people who developed and refined them did not
charge for their work and there is no charge for their use. No
corporation organised their creation and claimed ownership rights.
Are these examples of a new type of economy which has a lot further to
go? Will open source product design underpin a new type of creative
economy in which some things will be available in abundance mostly for
free? Are we witnessing the birth of a digital commons where
intellectual property rights like copyright and patents are standing
in the way of human progress?  Theorist Michel Bauwens and the P2P
foundation believes so. In his view we are entering an economic era as
profoundly different as feudalism was from the Roman Empire, and
industrial capitalism was from feudalism. But is the future he envisa
ges compatible with the ecological limits that humanity is
encountering in almost every field?

               14.00 – 17.00 Workshop on peer-to-peer with Michel Bauwens.

               Attendance will be limited to 15.

               Admission €10. Booking is essential.

               19.00 – 21.00 Public lecture on peer-to-peer with Michel Bauwens
followed by discussion.

               Admission €5 and booking for this is not necessary.

               More information from http://www.feasta.org/events/general/2011_04_p2p.php