We arrived in Brussels today, where Ray will address a lunch tomorrow, and I will do a beer-and-pizza session on Wednesday evening.

The theme of each will be a variation on our theme in Milan last Friday -- interoperability is crucial to the digital world, but in this area, as in so many others, insofar as government intervention is concerned, the motto should be "less is more." Interesting things are going on in the private world of standard setting, and the private actors are working out novel solutions to the problems. It is a good time to let new ideas of property rights and contract develop from the bottom up, not impose them a priori according to the preconceived ideas of elites or bureaucrats.

In particular, it is important that the open source movement be seen for what it is -- another business model. Increasingly, Linus is funded by hardward companies and distributors, not by a hive of volunteers. There is nothing wrong with this model, if the hardware companies want to pursue it; but there is nothing morally superior about it, either.

In talking to Europeans, it seems to me that their understanding of this reality is a bit laggard. Many are still entranced by the hype. So the sessions over the next couple of days should be interesting.