When Mozilla Fired Its Founder: On the 10 Year Anniversary of Brendan Eich Leaving His Company
Event Video
Co-founder of Mozilla and creator of JavaScript, Brendan Eich had made remarkable contributions to the technology sector. He also had contributed $1,000 to the (successful) Proposition 8 campaign against same-sex marriage. On April 3, 2014, Mozilla forced him out of the company he had founded, with apologies for not having acted sooner.
Watching it all unfold, Prof. Todd Zywicki was concerned, warning that this would not stop with financial contributions for ballot initiatives – that it was not a stable equilibrium. At least at the time, Inez Stepman was less troubled, confident that such disagreements could be resolved through market forces. Who was right? Join us for a conversation with Prof. Zywicki and Inez Stepman, as they reflect on the campaign against Brendan Eich, consider lessons learned, and discuss the implications for freedom of thought today.
Featuring:
Prof. Todd J. Zywicki, George Mason University Foundation Professor of Law, Antonin Scalia Law School, George Mason University
Inez Stepman, Senior Policy Analyst, Independent Women’s Forum
*******
As always, the Federalist Society takes no position on particular legal or public policy issues; all expressions of opinion are those of the speaker.