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opinion:
our view
Napster ban won't
stop trading
Last week a ruling
by a federal appellate court upheld a lower court ruling that
the use of the program Napster is a violation of copyright
law and should be barred from allowing users to exchange copyrighted
material.
Not only is the
argument that the service is costing musicians money highly
questionable, but shutting down Napster would be as effective
as putting a bandage on a severed limb.
Counteracting the
financial claim is the fact that the recording industry has
set records for profits the past two years: the time during
which the use of Napster has exploded. This could be attributed
to the rising cost of compact discs, which in itself could
have fueled Napster use, but profits are up in every genre
and for a great number of artists.
Rather than keeping
someone from buying a CD, having a band's songs available
for download will only increase their exposure and increase
the likelihood of buying a CD. Also, since the quality of
a downloaded song is so much less than a recorded version,
music lovers have to purchase the genuine article to truly
enjoy the music to its full effect.
Also, shutting
down Napster would not prevent people from exchanging music
via the Internet. Technology has advanced to a state where
anyone can go to an electronics store and buy programs allowing
them to turn their home into a recording studio.
With high-speed
Internet access commonplace and recording equipment almost
standard on new computers, most users of Napster will find
a way to still send music to each other. Napster was not a
storage site for music, just a convenient way to find if someone
else had what you were looking for.
Bulletin board
services and chat rooms will always be around to exchange
information. Shutting down Napster will just make people work
a little harder to find their music.
The great thing
about Napster is that it gives music fans a chance to download
15 different songs by 15 different artists and transfer it
to a CD to listen to and enjoy without having to spend more
than $200 just to get the songs they like. Listening to those
15 songs repeatedly will likely lead to some songs becoming
favorites and then the purchasing of the CDs they are on.
Music fans could
get stuck with the alternative, only hearing the songs chosen
by bands and radio stations and then getting stuck with a
CD with only one good song.
Most likely, Napster
has contributed to more sales than it has prevented. Stopping
it will only hurt the bands that get free publicity and people
who use it mainly for convenience.
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