The primary example of the center's content work is its involvement in a lawsuit filed on behalf of Eldritch Press, an on-line provider of scholarly texts and classic works.

According to Zittrain, who joined Nesson, Lessig and two Boston attorneys in signing the Eldritch filing, the case is "about openness" and is being openly discussed on-line thanks to open code.

The "open governance" component of the Berkman Center deals with the regulation of domain names--Web site addresses--around the world that are currently entrusted to a non-profit company known as ICANN.

Zittrain says the center is preparing a study that outlines how ICANN might become subject to oversight by Internet users.

On the security front, Nesson distinguishes three different levels of concerns.

At the personal level, the center is investigating ways to protect individual privacy in network environments.

To address corporate interests, Berkman researchers are focusing on the demands of adjusting to an increasingly open business climate on the Web, especially for companies accustomed to operating under a veil of secrecy.