] 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..

Salon.com Technology | After the copyright smackdown: What next?