Napster May Be Napping In Near Future

Recording industry executives will be popping open the champagne bottles and smoking their fattest, most expensive cigars this week in celebration of yesterday’s court ruling against Napster, the Internet’s most controversial music filesharing service. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Napster must prevent its users from trading copyrighted material over the Internet. That’s a heavy blow considering Napster cannot easily control the material being traded with their software. The Silicon Valley startup will more than likely be forced to stop providing their service until they create a way to control the material being traded. While the record execs plant their feet firmly on top of their desks and enjoy the sweet taste of victory in a glass of fine wine, the folks at Napster must scramble to reinvent their service in order to stay alive.

The 9th Circuit Court’s decision will likely impact the future of Internet filesharing. Executives in the music, film and print industries believe the Internet poses a serious threat to their copyrights and profits. The outcome of the Napster case is expected to set a precedent for issues concerning copyright laws in the digital domain.

To discuss the pros and cons of Napster and filesharing technology, click here.

Originally Published February 13, 2001