[poofyhairguy]

So making a copy of a CD and giving it to a friend is NOT legal for either party (which is what you're doing downloading from usenet).

Um, that isn't what happens with Usenet. Usenet downloaders share nothing. Its not like a torrent. That is why torrenters have been targeted- the uploading of seeding, not the downloading. It has never been tested in court that downloading is illegal. Maybe a civil offense, but not illegal.

Now the person who uploads to Usenet might be doing something illegal. And the site I get the NZBs from can get in trouble. But not me.

Personally I go an extra step to even avoid a civil lawsuit- I pay for a European Usenet company and I encrypt the traffic using ssl between me and their servers in Europe. That way if I am actually doing something that they can come after me for they will find that my actual offense was committed in a place where they have no jurisdiction, and no evidence of that offense even exists here in the states outside my systems.

Honestly the legal framework means that right now its free-for-all with downloading. As long as you don't care about the morals, the laws (for once) are setup in a way that inadvertently protects Usenet downloaders.

That is why I download with reckless abandon, because I assume my great leaders (with their pockets lined with media company money) will close this huge loophole within 10-15 years (I hope not though).