>They're just idiots. Most likely Napster will die..they don't have the
>legal expertise to compete with a powerhouse like one of the five
>majors..there's no possible way.
Napster the company, maybe. Napster the technology, no. see: Gnutella.
It's here, the labels just need to accept it. No amount of money can
stop open-source. Not now, not ever.
Look, if anything, we should feel sorry for Metallica. They're the
unwitting pawns in a game being played by the RIAA. Most likely,
someone asked them to make a public statement, and told them it
would be great for them (both financially, and for publicity). The
RIAA wants symbols/idols to represent their fight (looks a lot better
to have them in your press release, than lawyers.)
This is really nothing new, they've just shifted the target:
http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1005-200-334305.html?tag=st.cn.1./
..............................................................................
However, the group also provided some quotes for the artists to
"borrow" if they didn't want to provide their own. "If [the artist]
is not comfortable providing a personal quote, please feel free to
have him lend his name to one of the quotes we have provided," the
letter says. Some of the quotes are as follows:
Don't trash us by pirating sound recordings on the Net. Get
real. Get legit.
Like all Americans, I have the right to control both the reproduction and
distribution of my work. It's called copyright and it's my prerogative.
I support the RIAA for supporting me by stopping Internet piracy.
Internet piracy is theft, which as far as I can remember is illegal.
My work is my music. My music is my work. If you steal my music
on the Internet
you are taking something that doesn't belong to you.
Remember, I sing for my
supper.
Call it whatever you want but piracy is one thing: wrong. The
RIAA is representing
the rights of the recording industry and recording artists in
protecting our
intellectual property. Don't steal any songs.
..............................................................................
Further reading:
http://slashdot.org/articles/00/04/14/0834226.shtml
http://www.eff.org/cafe
colin
