In Ruling the Root, Milton Mueller makes use of the theoretical framework of institutional economics to research the worldwide coverage and governance difficulties created via the task of web domains and addresses. "The root" is the head of the area identify hierarchy and the web tackle area. it's the merely aspect of centralized regulate in what's in a different way a disbursed and voluntaristic community of networks. either domains and IP numbers are precious assets, and their project on a coordinated foundation is key to the technical operation of the web. Mueller explains how regulate of the basis is being leveraged to regulate the web itself in such key components as trademark and copyright safeguard, surveillance of clients, content material legislation, and legislation of the area identify provide industry.Control of the basis initially resided in an informally prepared technical elite comprised quite often of yankee machine scientists. because the web grew to become commercialized and area identify registration grew to become a ecocnomic enterprise, a six-year fight over estate rights and the keep watch over of the basis broke out between net technologists, enterprise and highbrow estate pursuits, foreign firms, nationwide governments, and advocates of person rights. by way of the past due Nineteen Nineties, it was once obvious that just a new foreign establishment may perhaps unravel conflicts one of the factions within the area identify wars. Mueller recounts the attention-grabbing technique that ended in the formation of a brand new overseas regime round ICANN, the web company for Assigned Names and Numbers. within the strategy, he indicates how the vaunted freedom and openness of the net is being reduced by means of the institutionalization of the root.