Lessig's new mission: fighting corruption

Author and Stanford Prof. Lawrence Lessig, one of the leading figures in the digital rights movement, has a new cause: understanding and fighting corruption. Today's San Jose Mercury News has a Q&A with him. Excerpts:

Lessig wants to tackle something far more elemental - the very nature of corruption. Why do some people subvert or short-change their ideals for money or some other inducement? Lessig sees this in politicians, in doctors, in lawyers, in academics, and yes, in journalists. And once he understands corruption, he wants to build a movement to stop it. ...

Lessig: We've all gotten use to money buying influence in the context of politics. But I was intrigued by my fellow academics who were allowing themselves to get in situations where it's hard to believe that money wasn't influencing them. When you go to Harvard Law School and you say to a professor that we'll give you money to do research in certain areas, or on certain subjects, it's sure pretty hard to not see how that affects how people do their jobs.

So it sounds like this effort will encompass influence peddling, conflict of interest and ethical issues as well as corruption.

Cross-posted to Socialmedia.biz.