As difficult as this is for companies like Skype and Microsoft to deal with, the hacker layer is an important part of the immune system of the open internet.

FORBES: Will Microsoft's Changes To The Architecture Of Skype Make It Easier To Snoop?

Ericsson's Screen Phone, which runs the open-source Linux operating system, combines both Internet access and a speaker phone, and will communicate with a home base station using the emerging Bluetooth technology for wireless personal area networking.

CNN: Technology - Ericsson's entry revitalizes WebPad scene

The U.S. government proposed a more open, decentralized system, to be organized by the nonprofit Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN).

CNN: Opinion: E-nough already!

Without such restrictions, many consumer advocates say the Internet will change from being an open, democratic network to a closed system, as NPR's Laura Sydell reports.

NPR: Congress Votes Against Internet Neutrality Bill

The snag was that bureaucrats insisted on keeping this a closed system, even after it became clear to everyone else that the future belonged to open networks like the internet.

FORBES: Innovation Works Best When Government Does Least