Val, you make good points, but as technology invades our lives more and more each day, I think/hope some of the issues you mention might fade in importance...(I am thinking of digital cameras, the web, smart boards in classrooms, laptops, blackberries and other organizer tools, etc.)
The point about developing attention to detail would surely still apply, but I think there must be many more interesting ways to develop this skill.
Acs -
Having a very similar sounding child, I would be tempted to find out how much not doing the copying would affect his grade, in a respectful manner of course. If it was just going to be a few points off...maybe just take the hit.
Some teachers might take offense at this, but if you make it clear that there are some slight issues with tracking (if that's the right term), perhaps it will soften the blow.
