[digitalWestie]

Absolutely right - there is no formal contract.

What is being reflected on here is really a 'social contract' - see

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_contract

[eckyptang]

There is no social contract either. It evaporates in a moment's notice when you break the speed limit or download an mp3.

[digitalWestie]

what do you mean by there being no social contract?

When you break the law the state punishes you because you have broken 'social contract'.

[eckyptang]

It's all about trading the social contract against risk of punishment. It's so absolutely unenforceable that more people break the social contract than adhere to it.