Archive of UserLand's first discussion group, started October 5, 1998.

Re: Napster *not* ordered to be shut down

Author:Keola Donaghy
Posted:7/26/2000; 11:44:21 PM
Topic:Napster ordered to be shut down
Msg #:19161 (In response to 19150)
Prev/Next:19160 / 19162

Am I missing something here? Its seems as the initial title of this thread is as misleading as the WSJ story. All of the accounts of the judge's ruling I've read state that she ordered Napster to stop allowing the sharing of copyrighted materials. Granted they currently do not have the technology to filter out copywrited materials, and in all likelyhood will shut down servers on Friday, yet, but isn't this as much an opportunity as it is a dilema?

Napster has a user base of how many million users? What if they started registering songs that the many bands clamoring for recognition started filling up directories, and who are willing to distribute their music this way. Maybe people would start opening their ears and giving new bands a listen, rather than downloading Brittany Spears all day long. Rather than searching by artist name or song time (though they still could be searched that way), you could search by genre, or a "sounds like" or "influences" field that would give users the ability to more easily find something they might like.

The labels would surely take notice when people stop buying CDs because they're too busy giving the new music available on the net a chance.

If that doesn't work, maybe RIAA was right. Maybe a large percentage of Napster users are just people who want something for nothing. Food for thought.

Aloha,

keola

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