Feelings on Napster?

I guess the point I'm trying to make is this: with Napster we are at a sort of crossroads. A)We protect the rights of the artists (but are we really doing this or are we really protecting the rights of huge corporations masquerading as artists?) or B) We protect the sanctity of a free internet. We simply can't have it both ways. So which "right" takes precedent? With this ruling, there is a precedent being set that will assist other companies in their efforts to stake their claims to the internet in the future. Our entire system of law in America operates precedent. And America right rules the net. This will become even more complex as other countries join in. I know we call people who talk this way dark prophets, but look at the evidence. What's next...western pharmaceutical companies claiming that makers of traditional medicines in India have no right to sell on the internet because they're infringing on their patents? Nope, that was last year.

I'm sorry, I digress...

Even if Napster goes under, people can rip from CD's, DeCSS already means DVD's are able to be ripped. Getting digital data from a digital format is pretty much a given. Once that happens they can be sent or posted on places like FTP's. So even if there's no more Napster, there will always be message boards and FTP's where people can swap these crappy 10:1 - or worse - compressions. So even if you agree the artists have all the rights in the world, it appears as though they're unenforceable.

CRAP. I can't log on to NAPSTER. Did they already get closed down or are they just BOGGED down by frantic teenagers trying to get every song they can uncertain of napsters FUTURE? Wahooooo. Glad I got that awsome METALLICA song NO LEAF CLOVER just in time. Great song and great ORCHASTRA work. Not the biggest fan but this song is awsome.

Issabre: I think I see where you're coming from, but I think you're off base.

You can have access to the internet for free, you can find content for free, but access to property you don't own for free is not the pervue of the internet.

The internet is a medium for distribution of information. Whether it be printed, or multimedia.

However, it's all copyrighted. Just because you see an image on a web page, doesn't mean you can (legally) download it and place it on your own site. Someone else created that image and owns it (and can control its use).

The same goes for music. Someone illegally copying a CD to the internet does not make it free. Rights are rights. Whether the label or the artist owns the music is irrelevant. The point is that the people who upload these MP3s do not and everyone downloading them are stealing.

Trying to argue from any other stance is sophistry or another (unrelated) argument.