It's hard to trivialize downloading 4 million articles using a web scraper's bag of tricks and then some. If the information was publicly accessible these char

It's hard to trivialize downloading 4 million articles using a web scraper's bag of tricks and then some. If the information was publicly accessible these charges wouldn't stand unless he tried to distribute it. If it was something so commendable, why would you cloak your activities or go to a different university to do your dirt instead of Harvard (where your a fellow of some sort) or Stanford (where you attended). Regardless of the motives and ideals or the excess of the charges, this isn't one of those hapless grandma versus the RIAA stories. He must have known what he was doing. The pricing and restrictions on the dissemination of academic papers is by any rational evaluation nothing short of ridiculous and contradicts the academic ideal of free exchange of ideas for the advancement of knowledge. However, history of scholarship is also a history of patronage, academic politics and in-fighting for greater prestige. It's sad that someone like Aaron has to be treated like a domestic terrorist. It's sad that we have a vindictive justice system willing to flaunt the Constitution in this day and age with what effectively amounts to cruel and unusual punishment so they can "make an example" out of someone. However, it's no one's fault that Aaron was so emboldened to take this initiative without sufficiently ensuring that he would be free from criminal prosecution. Am I alone in thinking that these "hacktivists" will only prompt government to push more frivolous data theft laws and heavier punishment for offenses that may one day victimize hapless, innocent people? It's going to get a lot worse before it gets better.