If You Can’t Beat ‘Em, Make Up A New Law

A new California law will require file-swappers in the state to register a legitimate e-mail address, or be charged with a misdemeanor. Critics are already charging that the law is merely an attempt to sidestep the intricacies of copyright law, and charge file-swappers with a newly invented crime. But the bill’s passage is a major victory for entertainment industry lobbyists, who plan to use the win as a springboard to launch similar efforts in other states.