In the [Adobe] air tonight

A simple question from Ben Laurie:

there is no DRM on the broadcast signal, nor was there on old-fashioned video tapes. Why are downloads different? Why is it not sufficient to rely on the law, as has always happened in the past? Why not assume that your users are mostly honest rather than treat them like criminals?

This amongst his comments following a hand-wringing interview by a BBC staffer with Ashley Highfield, who's the man in charge of the Beeb's danged iPlayer thing.

Listen again, anyone?