Yay. Let's teach our children that there's a pill for everything. Especially for "when they need a little than a kiss". More what? Attention? Have a pill...

(Disclaimer: I didn't get pills when I was small unless they were prescribed by the doctor. I think that's a good thing.)

It's true that you can strap a bomb or whatever to a five-year-old. However it's not probable that his identity will be known by the Department of Homeland Security beforehand so that his name is put on the list. It's really pretty evident that this was a mistake - something the airline should have realized in advance.

Dear boingboing,
Vienna is not in Germany.
Love,
Sonja

Queensilly - sort of. *g* The tariff is on blank media and "devices" that can be used for copying - PCs, scanners, printers, ...

One aspect of the new law is that the tariff will no longer be collected by the state but by the industry itself, which is sort of worrying...

Like everyone already said, the private copy for personal use is not illegal at all. We have to pay a (small) extra fee on media and hardware used for copying, which is sort of problematic in its own way but hardly the same as making copying illegal.

One thing that changes: The private copy becomes illegal if it's made from an illegal source - meaning stuff you steal on the internet. The original (heh) plan was to include a bagatelle clause that would keep the law from cracking down on kids burning a few CDs, but the Conservatives were against this, regarding it a weakening of copyright.

What I regard the real problem is the restricitve way the law deals with library making electronic material available for readers and students, but that's a different topic...

Here is a good article (in German, sorry) which links some other stuff regarding the law.