>From the beginning of the printing press in the late Middle Ages, copyrighting material became a must in granting rights to the original producers of works. Along with the broadcast media and the technology that comes with its use, there have been issues with the recording and redistribution of original works. This concern has reached new heights with the surge of personal computer use and the ability for home computer users to access information via the Internet. The advent of MP3 files for use of digital music storage and previewing of musical compact discs is a technology that has taken digital music use to another level. The use of MP3 files developed a way for music to be stored and transferred through a digital language throughout the Internet, carried by telephone lines to any and every personal computer.
             The topic of copyright infringement as it deals with the Internet is a hotly debated topic in the courts. Napster, a website that allows members to "share" music, is attempting to defend the right of consumers to openly exchange music to one another through the use of personal computers as the Napster server. Napster allows users to download and upload MP3 files from one users PC to another's. Many artist and executives in the music industry feel as though this is a direct infringement of their copyright a feel as though Napster should be shut down. As the case with Napster continues to unfold there is a precedence being set on how copyright laws will be interpreted throughout cyberspace and the Internet age. Internet copyright infringement laws are being formed through the proceedings of Napster through the court system. As has been seen before, with each step technology takes, legal constraints and boundaries must also grow.
             Many topics fall under the umbrella of copyright laws and regulations. The concentration of this research will deal with technology and the increasingly larger role the consumer
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