Illegal is illegal. If you do something illegal, then you should be prepared to accept the full penalties associated with your actions. If not, then you should leave it alone.
hmmmm, I always thought you were a realist/pragmatist. Most criminal activity seems to be completely divorced from consequences. Which is one of the reasons why the death penalty has not significantly lowered the murder rate.
Piracy For Personal Use (TM) seems to be more of a scofflaw attitude than anything else. Most people who borrow mp3s from their friends feel that they
should be able to do it, fully knowing that they legally cannot. Additionally, Piracy For Personal Use (TM) doesn't seem to hurt anyone. When you give your friend a copy of a Metallica cd, Elecktra may lose $2, but it's not like you are taking $2 straight from their pockets.
Legally, it may be wrong, but I think there is a moral question involved in following laws that seem foolish and harmless. Digital rights management through codecs and plugins seems especially stupid. What did they expect me to do with that cd burner and that hi-speed internet connection?
To sum it all up in one question:
Should I have been prepared to face thousands of dollars in fines and possibly jail time before transcribing Sex Pistols lyrics in that other thread?