As usual, the defender's of intellectual property rights do so using the argument of their opponents--that the real issue is "innovation," not the rights themselves. According to Ars Technica, the newly formed "Copyright Alliance" says it wants to "'balance those rights with the public good' and hopes to 'enrich our culture through incentives to create and disseminate new and innovative creative works'."

Both statements are codeword for a repudiation of individual rights, that says essentially the value of the individual is how he contributes to the betterment of society. Intellectual property won't be safe until the individual's right to control it is recognized, in principle, by its most vocal "defenders."

On a related note, I'm not surprised that Microsoft is a member of this group. The company has a long history of compromising on basic principles and sacrificing its own rights on an alter of collective guilt for its tremendous success. Bill Gates is legendary for spending billions on an effort to buy favor with those elements of society that consider him as evil for being wealthy.