I think National Parks might be a more accurate analogy to the Internet than the seashore. They too were created for the common good and common access of our citizenry and visitors. That seems different to me from "running water, air, the sea, and the shores of the sea," all of which predate any legal system or recognition of property rights. The other interesting parallel between the Internet and the National Parks is how they were created and supported, especially early in their existence. Something like 1/3 of the acreage of the National Park & Recreation Area system was driven almost entirely by Rep. Phil Burton and his staff, with most of the rest of Congress having very little understanding of what they were voting on at the time. (Sound like Internet policy creation to you?) This doesn't invalidate your point, but speaks to a possible strategy for achieving it. We need a powerful champion -- or several -- who really do get the importance of open and unrestricted access to the ever-evolving capabilities of the Internet. And I can't recommend John Jacob's biography of Burton, A Rage for Justice, highly enough. What an amazing inside baseball player on the political scene.