In the annals of political indecision, this week's cyber protests over Internet piracy will long be remembered, not just because there's no easy resolution, but because it represents a milestone in Congress' efforts to come to terms with the new rules of the digital age. The Macbethian dilemma is plainly illustrated in a remarkable email Sen. Al Franken felt compelled to send out to supporters Friday night explaining why, even as co-sponsor of copyright protection legislation, he thinks it's a good thing to hold off – presumably until D.C. lawmakers figure out what they're doing. It's an especially tough call for Franken, a guy with built-in hip credentials from his days at Saturday Night Live, as well as a champion of the Web Nation through his advocacy of "net neutrality." Sort of puts him on both sides of the digital wall. "As someone who has worked hard to protect net neutrality, I understand as well as anyone the importance of keeping the Internet free from undue corporate influence," Franken wrote in his missive. "There are millions of Americans who rely on a free and open Internet to learn, communicate with friends and family, and do business." You sense a "but" phrase coming, and there is: "At the same time, there are millions of Americans whose livelihoods rely on strong protections for intellectual property: middle-class workers – most of them union workers – in all 50 states, thousands of them here in Minnesota, working in a variety of industries from film production to publishing to software development." The message here – cast in the jobs rhetoric of this political season – is that as nice as a digital world of free and unfettered access to movies, songs and sports might be, the folks who produce that content (from reporters to SNL writers and Justin Bieber) need to get paid. "If we don't protect our intellectual property, international criminals – as well as legitimate businesses like payment processors and ad networks – will continue to profit dishonestly from the work these Americans are doing every day," Franken writes. "And that puts these millions of jobs at serious risk." Even in cyberspace, it turns out, there's no free lunch.