[John Robertson]

You're right, re the technology running way out ahead of the laws. The only thing that will really keep people from stealing digital material--and that's what they're doing, stealing--is what's missing more and more every day: an understanding of what's right and what's wrong.

Unfortunately, most people come down squarely on the scumbag side, like your brother-ibn-law's friend. They think that, since they PAID FOR the technology that allows them to steal, they're somehow justified. There are no perfect comparisons, but that's a little like saying, I bought and paid for this flatbed hauler, so it's okay if I load someone's Audi A4 onto it and drive away with it.

[N3WBI3]

John,

First off great analogy!

I think one of the most interesting things we have seen is the success of iTunes in selling individual songs on line, rather than try to suppress technology apple adopted it and helped themselves, consumers, and the music industry. I think the problem with the DMCA is that it assumes if you copy your intent is to break the law so that if I buy a DVD and I wish to back it up I am committing some kind of crime. This is about a handful of companies trying to reverse fair-use. Its akin to media companies trying to push copyright out further and further past what the founding fathers would have considered reasonable in Article 1 Section 8 of the constitution.