] The Eldred decision, in the words of University of Buffalo
] law professor Shubha Gosh, "deconstitutionalizes" copyright,
] pushing it father into the realm of policy and power battles
] and away from the principles that have anchored the system
] for two centuries.

More fallout from Eldred. This call has been raised several times in the last few months. The Constitution does not protect us here. The only way we can win is in the voting booth.

However, I cynically beleive that the voting booth will only come into play after this decision has cost us a lot more then the public domain... It will come into play only after the significance of our culture has been overshadowed by those who operate outside of this system.

] So out of despair some might see civil disobedience --
] hacking and freely distributing songs and films over
] digital networks -- as the only remaining response to the
] excesses of the copyright regimes and the hold they have
] over courts and Congress.

It is. Has been for awhile now. Its better to concentrate on creating new ways of doing things out in the open though. Be ready to educate your peers about these issues when they start to effect them. Etc..

] While disobedience might be more fun, the power of civil
] discourse remains. In fact, the ruling gives public
] interest activists both motivation and ammunition in the
] continuing battle against the excessive expansion of the
] power to control information and culture.

And thats the key.. These IP issues trample way into the territory of economic policy. The courts and congress are reactive to this type of thing. They will walk right up to the edge of an issue, step 2in back, and wait to see what happens.. Rince, repeat, give a decade or two..

The angry mob is only going to grow..