Shawn Fanning, Dave Matthews Band, Myself= Pro Napster
Metallica, Music Industry, Ted Nugent= Anti-Napster
Independent & Several Major Artists= Ambivalent
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| The Napster Debate | ||||||||||
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| This page was designed as a project for my Political Science 304 class at Oakland University (Rochester, MI.) The class focused on current issues involving political science and technology. One such example of this is the Napster phenomenon. Since October 1999, anyone with a computer has been able to download MP3 files of past and current music without charge. It is a file sharing program developed by twenty year old Shawn Fanning that allows users to search out other users and download songs they want. There is currently a huge demand for online music and the supply lines from record companies have been slow to adapt. Napster simply fills that void for the time being. Big name musicians are split on the issue, with many recognizing their own lack of power compared to the music companies, and still others seeing lost profits and crying foul. However, it also allows independent musicians to find an audience for their music. But record companies are now complaining of lost profits. Few people ever envisioned that music would be free forever, and even Napster wants to figure out a model to deliver online music. Now it is up to the record companies to decide if they want to give listeners a wide selection of online music for a price, or allow them to download music at one place or another for free. What is happening now could allow people to obtain a product they would otherwise have to drive to the store for without leaving their homes. When record companies begin following the online trend for purchasing and selling consumer products, the chances of preserving Napster and the music business will increase. Shawn Fanning, Dave Matthews Band, Myself= Pro Napster Metallica, Music Industry, Ted Nugent= Anti-Napster Independent & Several Major Artists= Ambivalent |
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| Shawn Fanning, online revolutionary and founder of Napster. | ||||||||||
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