Shift + Delete. That is the only keystroke needed to end a pirate’s digital career. Oh, and a trusty pair of scissors will help to destroy all those burned CDs. Such a dramatic end to a bad habit is waxing rare nowadays. Somewhere in the past few years Napster died and Kazaa stopped being on everyone’s lips. The Motion Picture Association of America faded from the headlines. iTunes gained popularity and Pandora began to stream free, personalized radio. Legislation caught up and the upheaval calmed. People grew up and learned their lesson. It won’t be the last excitement we’ll see in the digital age, though. Boundaries in law and society will be challenged. Twenty years from now we may be wondering why our children are ripping off the whatchamahoozit and depriving money from what’s-their-name with the how’s-it-work. But that’s how society progresses, so don’t expect anything less.
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