Professor Lawrence Lessig, the Stanford Law professor, has published a new book, Free Culture, reviewed by John Swartz of The New York Times. Although I haven't read it yet (but I will), Lessig argues that it's time for a "clean sheet" re-thinking of copyright law.  Specifically:

"Upon reflection, it should be obvious that in the world with the Internet, copies should not be the trigger for copyright law. More precisely, they should not always be the trigger for copyright law."

Unfortunately, the "Orwellian" Digital Millennium Copyright Law essentially erases the entire jurisprudence behind "fair use" and imposes strict liability for even attempting to understand the technology behind a digital rights management scheme.  Don't believe me?  Ask Prof. Edward  Feltenof Princeton.