Radio Berkman did an interview recently with Carl Malamud, who is working with the group Public.Resource.org to put the law and legal documents in the public domain. According to the blurb:
If you think this is a small issue – note that Americans spend some $10 billion a year just to access legal documents, everything from local building codes to Supreme Court records. The Executive Branch alone pays $50 million to access district court records. Some cash-strapped law schools ration students’ access to per-page charging services for legal records. And journalists, non-profits, and average citizens interested in legal research are feeling just as nickeled-and-dimed by fees.
You can download the podcast here.