See The Inspiring Story Of Aaron Swartz On Vimeo On Demand

Today marks the premiere of a Vimeo On Demand title that we’re supremely excited to share. Brian Knappenberger (We Are Legion) directs the story of Aaron Swartz, a technological wunderkind whose suicide in January 2013 rocked the Internet community and prompted a tremendous outpouring of sadness for a person who became known as “The Internet’s Own Boy.”

By age 13, Aaron was participating in online working groups shaping what would eventually become RSS. Instrumental in developing Creative Commons, and the founder of numerous organizations, Swartz gravitated towards activism, focusing on issues of free access to information. One of the highlights of his career was the leadership he provided in defeating the SOPA and PIPA bills in 2012.  Throughout that fight, however, a cloud hung over Aaron. He faced prosecution under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act for downloading the entire catalog of the academic journal service JSTOR. Along with the charges, he was threatened with upwards of 35 years in prison.

A warmly personal film, but fierce in its advocacy, The Internet’s Own Boy reviews the totality of Aaron’s life and speaks with those who knew him best — his family and influential mentors such as Lawrence Lessig, Tim Berners-Lee, and Cory Doctorow — painting a portrait of an idealistic young man who achieved much in his too-short time with us...