A commercial economy would be an economy in which "money or 'price' is a central term of the ordinary, or normal, exchange." A sharing economy differs because it is the type of economy where the only term of exchange that is NOT appropriate is money (118). So this to me says that the biggest difference is that commercial economies is based on monetary value and exchanging on the basis of worth as established by someone in power whereas sharing economies are based off of trading and coming to an agreement based on terms decided upon by the parties involved.
This idea is related to so many different things that Lessig is arguing. It seemed to me that all of Lessig's ideas relate to finding a happy medium of the two, to create a hybrid culture. The sharing and commercial economies are just the latest in his argument. This argument seemed very redundant after the RW/RO reading. The economy argument is just the latest piece in Lessig's grand 'remix puzzle.' He's arguing that we need to re-write our culture into something that has more gray area, it can't be so black and white. He wants things to work WITH one another, not against. This all makes sense, seeing as the title of this book is "REMIX."
I think you're right on the "grey" area, but I also think he's trying to point out to the powers-that-be that remix can be a money maker. By pointing this out, it theoretically makes those who control laws a little more open to changing them (perhaps).
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