If you’ll pardon me for recommending an article that quotes me as an expert, check out the Los Angeles Times (registration required) on the political reality of criminal copyright enforcement:
Like a stern father figure, Atty. Gen. Alberto R. Gonzales warned Los Angeles high school students last month about the perils of illegally downloading music or movies.
“There are consequences,” he said. “It is unlawful.”
Backing up the threat is another matter. While federal prosecutors have made fighting piracy a top priority, to date they have been reluctant to go after the group the entertainment industry most wants targeted: people who illegally download from hugely popular online file-sharing networks.
“No U.S. attorney wants to be the guy who put a UCLA sophomore in jail for downloading Britney Spears,” said George Washington University law professor Orin Kerr, a former federal high-tech crimes specialist.
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