A developer arrested for writing software to read electronic books; third-party product vendors hauled into court for providing product interoperability; a popular and highly effective security product for stopping worms pulled from the Internet due to fear that the developer is breaking a state law; users unable to back up or transfer content they legally purchased: All have been direct consequences of laws such as the federal Digital Millennium Copyright Act and similar state laws known as Super DMCAs, laws that were ostensibly intended solely to protect intellectual property and copyright. These laws have had a negative effect on innovation, product interoperability and consumer fairuse, but at least the effect has been limited mainly to the United States.

At eWeek.

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