John Perry Barlow (born Jackson Hole, Wyoming, October 3, 1947) is an American poet, essayist, retired Wyoming cattle rancher, and former lyricist for the Grateful Dead. In 1969, he graduated with High Honors in comparative religion from Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut. He is a co-founder of the Electronic Frontier Foundation along with fellow digital rights activists John Gilmore and Mitch Kapor. He currently serves as vice-chairman of the EFF's board of directors. He is a former chairman of the Sublette County Republican Party and member of the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences.

His writings include A Declaration of the Independence of Cyberspace and The Economy of Ideas.

External links

• Personal blog
• EFF homepage
• A Declaration of the Independence of Cyberspace
• The Economy of Ideas
• An insightful interview given to Reason magazine
• A 'This American Life' story (at minute 37) about how Barlow met his fiancé at a convention center, and what happened to them afterward