The potential of the Internet to link individuals from all corners of the world and unify diverse cultures and nationalities makes it a priceless resource for improving understanding between peoples. Over-regulation will also ensue if a few dishonest individuals are allowed to flout the law and spoil the new freedom for everyone.
Freedom of speech is an essential component of a free society.
So, too, is an individual's freedom not to speak and to determine where, when, to whom and how much to speak. Similarly, an author by and large has the right to determine whether his words will be published or not, where they will be published, when, to whom and how much. Thus, intellectual property rights and free expression coexist. The Church's recent actions to protect its scriptures from abuse through application of copyright and trade secrets laws have aroused considerable media interest. As a number of religious leaders and computer experts recently pointed out, this is not the first time that the Church has gone where others feared to tread.