regulating whoopee cushions

The Chronicle of Higher Education, in an article called The Making of a Policy Gadfly, (link via Lessig blog) has an insightful look at the writings of Princeton Professor Edward W. Felten at his blog Freedom to Tinker. The article focuses upon a series of postings in which the inventor and educator explains how Sen. Fritz Hollings' Consumer Broadband and Digital Television Promotion Act (CBDTPA) will help us by requiring that copyright protections be developed by private industry to allow the federal government to protect digital content. Professor Felton provides a large number of examples of products that will need to be protected under the law in a category of his blog which he labeled Fritz's Hit List. Some of the many examples: Big Mouth Billy Bass, the Shop With Me Barbie toy cash register, the TinkleToonz Musical Potty, and the remote controlled fart machine (a definite must read entry).