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    Permissionless Innovation


    Great innovations thrive in a legal environment that understands and accepts their necessity. Our framework provides a method of evaluating and determining what, if any, regulations a new technology may need.

    Enter the name of an industry for which you want to identify the appropriate level of regulation:

    Is the industry being considered for use commercially or by the government?

    Can the use of cause harm to ?

    What is the severity of the harm could face?

    What is the probability that will be harmed from using ?

    How hard is it to rectify any harm might experience as a result of the use of a ?

    Based on your responses, the application of the industry should be regulated through: .

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    Why Is Permissionless Innovation Important?








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    Frequently Asked Questions


    What is Permissionless Innovation?

    Permissionless Innovation is a concept that Adam Thierer writes about in his book entitled, Permissionless Innovation: The Continuing Case for Comprehensive Technological Freedom. The concept talks about how to think about regulating new business models or technologies. It advocates for politicians and people not to assume the worst when it comes to technology, not to give in to the often unfounded fears of technology.

    Is Utah a safe harbor for tech and innovative companies?

    Utah certainly labels itself as a safe harbor for tech and innovative companies. However, the state may not always be living up to this label. Numerous companies have had countless run-ins with regulators for simply doing something different. Whether it was Tesla, Uber and Lyft, or Airbnb, companies with innovative ideas and business models are not always met with warm, welcoming arms.

    What is the Market Empowerment Framework?

    The Market Empowerment Framework is a process we have developed to assist legislators, regulators, and consumers to evaluate the necessity and level of regulations that should be applied to new and/or innovative companies. By answering a series of questions, a person will be able to follow a least-restrictive means process to enable innovation in Utah. As a result, the state would become an increasingly attractive option for companies looking to relocate out of extraordinarily burdensome regulatory environments to friendlier places.

    What are some examples of companies that practice permissionless innovation?

    Uber and Lyft are well-known and recent examples. Due to regulations in the taxi industry, they should not have even existed. However, they looked at the problematic laws and safely went to market anyway, dealing with the political repercussions along the way. Another example of a company that practices permissionless innovation is RobinHood, a popular app that allows for people to engage in trading stock with no commission fees on trades. This was radically different than the industry standard at the time, and as a result, many of the traditional brokers have eliminated commission fees on trades as well. This has enabled more people to have access to the marketplace.

    What states or countries practice permissionless innovation?

    There are no states or countries that truly embrace everything that permissionless innovation calls for. However, the United States has historically been the beacon of getting close to it. Out of the top 10 most innovative companies in the world in 2019, 8 of them were based in the United States.

    How can I help make Utah embrace permissionless innovation?

    Many people are familiar with the large companies but don't realize that they all started out as small businesses. Apple, Amazon, and Google all started in a garage by people who had a vision of how their product could change their industries. Working with the legislature is key to ensuring that our small businesses are placed in the best position to succeed within the state of Utah to become the next American success story. 



    @LibertasUtah

    We are a 501(c)3 non-profit “think tank” and educational organization that changes hearts, minds, and laws to build a freer society by creating and implementing innovative policy reforms and exceptional educational resources.


    Permissionless Innovation in Utah

    A Libertas Institute initiative.