The 1998 Digital Millenium Copyright Act (DMCA) allows copyright holders to issue subpoenas! Now the RIAA is trying to do that, and, according to the Boston Globe, at least MIT and Boston College are challenging that.

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The big issue, of course, is privacy and the undermining of constitutional rights. What bugs me the most is that the RIAA is ruthlessly trying to fight for a dying system, rather than to embrace the new status quote; they consider copyright to be a “right”, not a “bargain with the public”, as coined by Eric Raymond. Well, MIT and BC are not the only ones fighting – Verizon is fighting as well. Of course it’s in their interest to have plenty of traffic, but it’s nice that they are fighting nevertheless.