Indeed, I could've made that sign at home, walked into a CC, snapped a photo, and make the whole story up.

I took the image, so I'm pretty sure I didn't print up the sign, take it into Circuit City, and shoot it.

I don't think anybody thought CC was actually starting a DVD ripping program at a company-wide level. But for a sign like this to have been placed on the cash register you'd think it would have to have been given a nod by the store manager, at least.

Joel, sadly, by the time the story got to Slashdot or Digg, it did sound like a company-wide service.

As I just said on Gizmodo (although I'm not sure it "took"), that specific Circuit City already has a problem, as offering the service alone is enough to violate the DMCA:

17 USC 1201(b)(1):

"No person shall manufacture, import, offer to the public, provide, or otherwise traffic in any technology, product, service, device, component, or part thereof, that—"

http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/html/uscode17/usc_sec_17_00001201----000-.html

It’s kind of ironic that on a day when the blogosphere is beating up Businessweek for bad reporting, a reputable blog is also doing some bad reporting. Kudos to the folks setting BusinessWeek straight and kudos to Seth Finkelstein for setting Consumerist straight.

I've cross-posted to my blog.