Napster
NAPSTER: BREAKING THE CONSTITUTION The Napster software, which launched in 1999, allows people to share digital music files (MP3) between each other. This Internet program has sparked a historical debate about copyright law and the Internet. Copyright owners strongly believe that "sharing" these files via Napster is "stealing"(TIME). Downloading music against the wishes of an artist or producer is breaking the law. Some believe that it is not stealing or illegal. They are just making a copy of someone's song. In the Constitution, Article 1, Section 8 it says "......promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries....." (Constitution). This led to copyright law, which gives artists the exclusive rights to their music from the moment of its creation until, generally 70 years after the artist dies (Michigan Review). There may not be respect for the copyright law, but it is still breaking the law. According to the Michigan Review, in areas around college campuses and universities, CD sales have dropped 4%. In 2000, retail CD sales at stores near colleges with high Napster use are actually below 1997 sales (Mi
Also according to the Michigan Review, CD sales are up 16% across the nation. According to Newsweek magazine, more than half of the people using Napster do not feel guilty of violating the copyright law when they are downloading music off the Internet. Now, artists are compensated every time a song is played on the radio (Newsweek). Americans have many rights granted to them by the United States Constitution. Since the music is "free" it has to be stealing. Some artist work for years to establish themselves as a popular musician, spending untold fortunes on recording equipment, training, marketing, plus thousands of man-hours on perfecting their craft, only to have their work ripped off by someone. Napster should at least charge people a set fee for using it. They should buy it or delete it from their computer. This is not fair to the recording industry because they are not making any money from it. A monthly fee, sometimes based on per- minute usage or a flat fee, compensates the company for their "copyrighted" material. This system would allow for exchange of one or more songs without obligating a buyer to purchase a whole CD while compensating the artist.
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