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I think what happened to David (thanks for weighing in, dude) ably illustrates the fact that copyright law, national and international, simply hasn't kept up with the times, and is full of holes that the lawyers and courts have selectively applied, or ignored, at their pleasure. Pre-internet, these issues didn't amount to much, practically or monetarily, so no one really cared, and legal actions were noticeably lax. But now, they are starting to mean real money and other serious figures (such as the potential market for downloads, etc), so suddenly they have come front and center and become a big button issue.
Because the legal holes are there, it leaves up to whomever has the biggest pockets to decide how the laws will swing... upholding existing laws as written (Conde Nast), or revising rights to suit (Disney), whichever is their pleasure. And as the situation plays into the hands of the big moneyholders, there is little incentive to change things.
But the issues we've discussed at length here prove that the situation cannot stand, and could even cause major international incidents if not soon addressed. We can only hope that pressure from the international market bolstered by the Internet will eventually force a stand in international law that all countries will accept and enforce.
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