Michigan Journal of International Law Volume 5 Issue 1 1984 The Political Economy of Orbit Spectrum Leasing Harvey Levin Hofstra Universtiy Follow this and additional works at: https://repository.law.umich.edu/mjil Part of the Air and Space Law Commons, and the Science and Technology Law Commons Recommended Citation Harvey Levin, The Political Economy of Orbit Spectrum Leasing, 5 MICH. J. INT'L L. 41 (1984). Available at: https://repository.law.umich.edu/mjil/vol5/iss1/3 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Michigan Journal of International Law at University of Michigan Law School Scholarship Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Michigan Journal of International Law by an authorized editor of University of Michigan Law School Scholarship Repository. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. The Political Economy of Orbit Spectrum Leasing Harvey Levin* INTRODUCTION This article I will propose several plans for allocating a common resource of the earth-the international orbit spectrum--among nations through mechanisms designed to introduce market incentives. The rights to orbital "parking places" are so defined as to permit their subdivision, recombina- tion, and assignment in lease markets. 2 The lease market approach accom- modates the interests of both developed countries (DCs), who have the technology and domestic demand to establish satellite systems today, and less-developed countries (LDCs), who seek long-range planning to guar- antee them access to the orbit spectrum at a time in the future when they, too, possess the capability and need. 3 In the interim, this plan will provide LDCs with income as the lessors of orbital slots they cannot currently use.