Rules for the ‘Renting Economy’

Companies like Uber and Netflix have an unfair advantage, but what to do?

Demonstrators hold signs during a protest organized by the San Francisco Taxi Workers Alliance against ridesharing services Uber and Lyft outside the 8th Annual Crunchies Awards in San Francisco on Feb. 5, 2015. Uber has attracted controversy for skirting taxi regulations and paying its drivers poorly. REUTERS/Stephen Lam

A digital behemoth is gobbling up traditional business models faster than you can say “taxicab.”

Some are calling it the “sharing economy,” though “renting economy” is a more accurate description. Businesses like Uber, Airbnb, and AskForTask connect people who want something with those who can provide it—for a fee.