Financial Explorer: Open Source Licenses and Analysis of Information

Abstract

This paper contemplates the future relationship between open-source licenses and capital markets, discussing the impact of new media technologies on transparency in finance, with an emphasis on Financial Explorer, a new tool put forth by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that allows users to scrutinize public financial data in interactive, accessible ways. It considers the extent this tool will increase the rate at which information flows through the financial markets, the quantity of information incorporated into a security’s price, and the quality of analysis done by investors.

Keywords: Business Culture, New Media, Open-Source, Financial Explorer

JEL Classification: M14, K23