Four decades ago, one in six American businesses was automotive-related. In 2012, autos and light trucks accounted for about 2 percent of GDP, as does spending on computers and related equipment. Yet even though technology’s share has doubled in the last decade, government statisticians still refuse to use chip inventories and personal computer sales as economic indicators. The reason is that the economic welfare created by high-tech industries is much harder to measure than, say, tons of steel or bushels of corn.

When software is distributed at no charge on the Internet, does that result in an increase in GDP?