Who owns the rights to user created content on the internet? The IPG Emerging Media Lab is trying to answer those, and other questions companies have about the interactive web. Lori H. Schwartz and Jeff Berg, director and content editor at IPG, talk about providing innovation and thought leadership to companies trying to engage users in a fragmented media marketplace.

IPG specialises in looking at new channels of consumer interaction on the internet. Companies are looking at how they can best reach consumers on different - often portable - devices. To answer those questions, IPG created the Emerging Media Lab to let companies experience new technologies and help them dig deeper into innovation on new platforms.

Rapid changes on the world wide web, particularly the web 2.0 phenomenon, means there are new places for people to interact and contribute. Companies looking to enhance their brand need to consider how they treat users and the work they contribute. The big question is: what happens when you let content out into the world?

IPG stresses that companies and services need to show respect for those users who contribute, while recognizing that some brands will still need to have strict guidelines. User interaction can be a powerful thing, but to what extent can businesses trust users to shape and contribute to a brand?