I just read two good articles on intellectual property and copyright law, both written by Cory Doctorow (editer of craphound.com and co-editor of Boing Boing).
The first article, published on Locus Online, discusses this history of copyright law, why it originally came to be, and how it fails when applied to end-users. The second article, published by the USC newspaper Daily Trojan, discusses a recent letter sent by USC administration to all returning students that declares all filesharing and P2P network use as illegal. It presents a solid argument as to why this is not true, providing examples and historical context to back up his points.
Both articles are very interesting and poignant in today's society, and I recommend taking some time out your day to read them.
Full links:
http://www.locusmag.com/2006/Issues/09DoctorowCommentary.html
http://www.dailytrojan.com/news/2006/09/11/Opinions/Usc-Copyright.Rules.Are.Flawed-2264120.shtml