"Most drugs are traded between so many people and stored in so many homes around the world that it makes no sense trying to tie them back to a single locality".

"Most drugs are traded between so many people and stored in so many homes around the world that it makes no sense trying to tie them back to a single locality". That's true, but that never stopped governments from regulating and controlling them and shutting down big drug operations. I don't see why they wouldn't attempt to do the same with "illegal" data (even if data is orders of magnitude less traceable). I'm afraid that the mere fact that all data has a physical starting point is enough for governments to try and claim jurisdiction. Most people seem to be fine with schedule I drug prohibition. Then again, data is the one drug that we're all addicted to.