Personally, I think we're on the verge of a paradigm shift. I have a feeling that intellectual property laws will drastically change over the next few decades.
http://yro.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=06/08/19/0342256
You have to realize that laws and morals are up to the people that enforce them. Each generation seems to change what it feels is important. As people change their attitudes toward social issues, laws change to reflect their new ideals. That's why women can vote and we don't have slaves.