I suppose Ben's right. Sony isn't the first to be protective of their product (whether or not you think it's overly done). I suppose Spongey's right, too. That doesn't make it right.
Then again it doesn't make it wrong. I suppose we need to step back and ask "How rampant is media siwpeing?" And I don't mean world-wide (that China figure would make the world look terrible!

), I mean in North America. I hate to be so biased, but that's where the majority of us are from, and it'd give us a better base of argument. Sony could easily have regional regulations for media (like those regional DVD's, just...not

).I'm not aware of any major problem here in the US or Canada (those crazy mexicans, though...

), so it must be somewhere else. Then again, I'm not aware of everything.
In my own little world, this all really doesn't affect me. All the music I have, I bought. All the equipment I own, isn't tagged or crap. I don't much expensive stuff (just my DS), and I don't think I really ever will.
As I said earlier, these new times scare the ba-jeebers out of me. Too goddamned partisan. When did politics and law become a part of video games and groovin' to some tunes? Don't tell me. I don't want to know.
Peace and "When
I was a boy..."