Book excerpt: From free and open-source software, Creative Commons licenses, Wikipedia, remix music video mashups and open science, digital media has spawned a new sharing economy in competition with media giants. Media journalist Bollier provides a comprehensive history of the attempts of this new free culture' community to create a digital republic committed to freedom and innovation. Interweaving disparate and eclectic strands of activity with major technological developments, pivotal legal struggles and case studies, Bollier exposes the magical processes of this era.'