The consequences of the the Digital Millennium Copyright Act have hindered developments in computing by putting unnecessary blocks on academic researchers, journalists, and especially open source software developers. However, the limits on developing and trafficking code that circumvents copy protection has harmed copyright holders on the whole more than it has helped. In order to ensure strong and fair protection for copyright holders, an open standard Digital Rights Management solution should be developed and adopted.

Free, Legal and Ignored

Colleges Offer Music Downloads,
But Their Students Just Say No;
Too Many Strings Attached

By NICK TIMIRAOS
July 6, 2006; Page B1

As a student at Cornell University, Angelo Petrigh had access to free online music via a legal music-downloading service his school provided. Yet the 21-year-old still turned to illegal file-sharing programs.

The reason: While Cornell's online music program, through Napster, gave him and other students free, legal downloads, the email introducing the service explained that students could keep their songs only until they graduated. "After I read that, I decided I didn't want to even try it," says Mr. Petrigh, who will be a senior in the fall at the Ithaca, N.Y., school....