A war that can't be won

The government is waging a so-called "war on piracy." Downloading copyrighted material is punishable by major legal prosecution. What the gov't fails to realize is that such a war cannot be won in this manner. Access to so much digital media through YouTube and P2P sharing and the like is all too present to be simply eradicated. Lawsuits against a mother posting an online video of her eighteen-month old son dancing to an unauthorized Prince recording is the work of a disconnected generation. Lawmakers need to adapt to the presence of file-sharing, and must do so in a way that encourages creativity. This is the generation of remixes and mashups, which may be an unfamiliar art form to some but still can produce valuable and interesting world. If the gov't retools their copyright laws in just the right way (I don't claim to know the answer, I just figure its probably out there), the doors can be opened and this art form can flourish  legally.