Feelings on Napster?

This is in response to Issabre's comment "Thus, with the demise of Napster, it's not the loss of free music that I lament so much as the further empowering of corporate domination of music, art, films..etc." It is not a matter of "empowerment." IMO, this is not about corporations and domination. This is a property rights issue. Either you own something or you don't. The owner of something has specific rights and it is improper to assume that because there is a new medium that those rights are somehow diminished. If someone moves to a new house does that mean they have fewer rights to privacy and protection of their property? No, their rights are generally sustained and remain essentially the same. A good excercise is to put yourself in the other fellow's shoes. What if it were your property being given away without your permission? What if it were your livelihood being jeapordized? Don't just think of it in terms of big dollar players. That's just who is getting the press right now. This ultimately effects all of us in many ways and with respect to a wide variety of media. In some ways the corporate types are doing us a favor (no, not in all ways) and it's about time.

Gridlock has it right, this isn't China where you copy anything you want for free. Issabre if you want to see how something sounds every large CD internet srore offers "real audio" sound samples of tracks from CDs they sell, this gives you idea of sound or style. Your argument of free unlimited sampling because maybe you will buy a CD is like saying you can use a "cable black box" and watch all the pay channels for free, just to see if you like it. Napster is piracy of copyrited material, and will be shut down very soon unless they pay artists for use of their material, regards Sam

It's not a matter of "soon", it's already happened. Do you not watch the news broadcasts? There are many others that will and are filling the Napster vacuum, but the government will obviously whittle the largest of them down also, over time...................I think there are other things going on in the USA that are more important than free music on the internet.....................Issabre, your guy claims he invented the internet, so "if" he's elected, maybe he'll solve all that worries you, heh heh heh.

Do you not watch the news? Napster was allowed to stay up and running on appeal as of late Friday afternoon. It wiil probably be in service until at least September when it goes to court again.

I am surprised and relieved so many people feel the same way I do about this issue. Mr Gridlock has hit the nail right on the head IMHO. As for the notion that this will somehow lead to the decline of the Western Civilization - Give me a Break! If good sounding recordings were to be given away, with no money paid for that product, who would ever put up the $$$ for studio time, sound engineers, recording facilities, etc, etc - not to mention the musicians. To think that musicians are ONLY motivated by the artistry of their music is naive. From some kids in a garage band to the guy composing on his keyboard, musicians want their music to be heard but they also want to be paid for it if their dream is to do that for a living. Napster could potentially rob them of that dream. They may be able to share their music with a wider audience but if they don't get paid for it how can they keep doing it? Remember, Thomas Edison didn't invent the phonograph to share music with the world - he made it because he saw the potential to make money and sell a product he thought people would buy. He has been right for 100 years now. It's funny how people who advocate Napster are pointing their fingers at the evil, capitalist record companies whose only goal is to make a buck. What do you all think Napster's in it for? And they didn't even help make the product they are offering. That's theft.