HP backs down on DMCA warning. Public outcry among programmers, researchers and technologists prompts Hewlett-Packard to back down from its stark warning earlier in the week. [CNET News.com]

A good article today on Salon about Bootleg Culture.  I think its an interesting point of view on some facts of life that our friends at RIAA, and their stable of "rock stars" are going to have to get used to.  My favorite quote:

"...Many artists and their labels have become reluctant to allow any sampling of their work unless they are sure the new work will sell enough copies to generate large royalty checks.

What is surprising are the names of some of the artists who turned them down: the Beastie Boys, Beck, Missy Elliott, Chemical Brothers, and M/A/R/R/S -- artists whose own careers are based on sampling and who in some cases have been sued in the past for their own unauthorized sampling. For whatever reason these artists decided not to license their material, the net effect is that more entrenched, "legitimate" sampling artists are preventing lesser known, struggling sampling artists from doing what the legitimate artists probably wish they could have done years ago: sample without hindrance to create new works. "

In a digital world, the creator, the sampler, and the consumer blend into one.  There's very little use for entire industries built around middle-men.  The only hope for RIAA and friends is to get into the business of digitally distributing their music.  So far, they've spent more time trying to stop consumers from doing what they want, rather than facilitating it.