Between Truth and Power

Between Truth and Power examines how digital technologies and networked information flows are reshaping fundamental institutions of the legal system. The book analyzes changes in law and legal institutions during the ongoing shift from industrial-era models to informational capitalism. Cohen investigates how data collection, surveillance practices, and algorithmic governance affect privacy, autonomy, and economic power relationships. The analysis covers intellectual property law, regulatory frameworks, and the evolving role of platforms and infrastructures in the digital economy. The text addresses core questions about how law can effectively govern emerging technological systems while promoting both innovation and the public interest. Through detailed case studies and theoretical frameworks, Cohen explores paths forward for legal institutions adapting to technological change. The book contributes to ongoing debates about law's role in an era where information and algorithms increasingly drive economic and social ordering. At its core, it examines the challenge of maintaining democratic values and human agency within rapidly evolving digital systems of control.

Readers view this as an academic examination of how digital technologies and platforms are reshaping law, economics, and social institutions. Readers appreciate: - In-depth analysis of how tech companies utilize law for competitive advantage - Clear explanations of complex regulatory and policy challenges - Historical context for current tech governance debates - Thorough research and extensive citations Common criticisms: - Dense academic writing style that can be difficult to follow - Some sections are repetitive - Limited practical solutions offered - Assumes significant background knowledge of legal concepts Ratings: Goodreads: 4.0/5 (21 ratings) Amazon: 4.3/5 (12 ratings) Notable reader comments: "Explains why traditional regulatory frameworks fail with platform companies" - Goodreads reviewer "Important ideas but could be more accessible to non-legal readers" - Amazon reviewer "Best analysis I've read of how tech platforms exploit legal gray areas" - Law professor on Legal Theory Blog

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🔹 Julie E. Cohen drew from her experience as a former law clerk for Judge Stephen Reinhardt of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit to develop her perspectives on how digital technologies are reshaping legal frameworks. 🔹 The book addresses how platform-based business models like those used by Google, Facebook, and Amazon have fundamentally altered traditional concepts of property and privacy rights. 🔹 Cohen coined the term "informational capitalism" to describe the modern economic system where data and information flows have become primary drivers of wealth creation and power. 🔹 The work builds on research from multiple disciplines, including law, economics, social science, and media studies, to examine how digital technologies are transforming both political and economic institutions. 🔹 Published by Oxford University Press in 2019, the book received the Association of American Publishers' 2020 PROSE Award in the Legal Studies category.