What Is DisCo?

The Disruptive Competition Project (DisCo) is a project to promote disruptive innovation and competition to policymakers. Plenty of other groups in DC defend incumbent industries and protect the status quo; DisCo brings together experts to explain how disruptive change in the modern economy promotes growth and advances our society. The core areas of DisCo’s focus are:

Internet Competition

The beauty of the Internet is users choose the best products and services. Companies need to constantly stay on their toes, as the next start-up is ready to knock them down with a better product. Because there are few barriers to entry for Internet companies, competition works and a light regulatory touch is often best. In markets where competition is restrained, policies that encourage competition and market entry may be necessary. When markets are in constant flux, monitoring from a distance is often best because even well-intentioned regulation can produce unintended consequences.

Balanced Intellectual Property

The Internet thrives on the creative juices of entrepreneurs and its users. A balanced approach to copyright, trademarks and patents is critical to the continued creative and entrepreneurial spirit of the Internet. Our intellectual property system should encourage invention, while not stomping out new business models and open-source development.

Privacy Solutions

As long as consumers have choices, market competition will provide better outcomes than prescriptive regulation. Privacy policymaking should focus on empowering consumers to make informed choices in the marketplace while not impeding new business models.

The Free Flow of Information

The free flow of information and data is the cornerstone of the Internet’s success. The pace of disruptive innovation has increased because of this. It has allowed sharing of ideas throughout the world as long as governments or incumbent gatekeepers refrain from interference. In all but the most extreme cases, countries should resist the temptation to alter Internet content or control how the Internet works. Even well-intended attempts to interfere often have broader unintended consequences.