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Rochester Signs Napster Deal, Hosts P2P Panel
extra88 writes "Following in Penn State's footsteps, the University of Rochester has struck a deal to provide access to Napster's premium service for dormitory residents. From the press release: 'In addition, Napster and the University's prestigious Eastman School of Music will be developing ways in which Napster can begin to provide original content from Eastman students and faculty to service members across the entire Napster network.' What does this mean? Perhaps not coincidentally, the university is also hosting a panel discussion about P2P file sharing on Feb. 16. Cary Sherman from the RIAA, university administrators and others will be on the panel and there is to be a live audio stream of the event."
and tuitions are rising because what? its too expensive for students to buy music in the regular market so now its just included as a tax in their tuition???
"Old man yells at systemd"
I suppose it makes sense for a school of music to embrace Napster, it's not as though they'll have nothing to offer. Presumably they're paying Napster here though, so perhaps they intend to make some of the money back via their "developed services".
I reckon this is probably a move on two fronts though - first it prevents the College being sued because it's officially above-board. Second, it establishes the college as a "happening" place - it's not just teaching string quartet music, it's working with new media in new ways. All very attractive to potential students...
Simon
Physicists get Hadrons!
I seriously hope someone at this panel makes the RIAA look like the fools they are. Suing their user-base, charging ridiculous prices, forcing draconian DRM (in non US countries) on people, and stiffing the artist.
And yet they wonder why they have such a piracy epidemic on their hands? Someone really needs to say/do something at the event to make a spectacle of the RIAA and how ridiculous what they're saying and doing is.
So now they can get legit music if they can't find what they want on kazaa?:) It must be nice to get something with the ~$700/month dorm fees other than closet-sized room and a lumpy mattress.
It's a shame that an educational institution has to make a deal with a corporation to sate the appetitie of the RIAA's lawyers. I'm guessing the cost of this will eventually be passed onto students if they approve the service. Why don't they just pay for all you can watch movies too?
Why do people keep thinking that the new Napster has something to do with P2P?
Yes, I know the answer: "Because that is what the DRM peddlers wanted them to think, which is why they bought the trademark. But at universities and especially here on Slashdot I think we can expect a little more.
What the schools are doing when they sign deals with the new Napster is to drive their students into the acceptance of proprietary, Windows only, closed, locked, DMCA protected file formats that you better not even think about trying to port to your operating system of choice. What they are doing is welcoming into their campuses the future where the devices we use to communicate are not tools tools for freedom, but chains designed to control us. It is the equivalent of putting out a press release that all the dorms have now installed the new "Trusted door" technology, which will only let students out of their dorms when they have a valid reason to do it (I mean, you can't trust students - we know that - so why not have trusted doors instead???)
Stop lauding this. Stop cheering it on. Fight it at every turn. Do not sign up. Do not give them your money. Shout as loudly as you can, at anyone involved, that you will start spending money on music again when it is sold to you, rather then given in some fucked up form of leasing where you own the computer, the law prevents you from figuring out how it works.
Linux is dead in the DRM future. The open web is dead in the DRM future. Everything this site celebrates has no chance of survival when the Internet has become a centralized entity of information control. We have to draw the line HERE because we are the only ones who can. Every time we mention these serives in a positive light we are sowing the seeds of our destruction.
I'll stop now. ARGGG.
On napster, you can only get semi commerical/commercial music. The average college student demands far more for a file sharing service. With high speed access, the tempation is still there to download movies/software/porn which can't be done on Napster. While the students are downloading movies/software/porn, what would stop them from picking up a few tunes along the way?
"Permanent downloads--to burn to CDs or transfer to any of 60 portable music devices--can be purchased for 99 cents each or $9.95 for an album."
They will get access to the Streams (whoop dee doo), which are the equivalent of radio, or shoutcast. It does also say though that they can download locally an unlimitted amount of songs though, so maybe they just can't burn or transfer them, but there are ways around that.
~Brian
What kind of DRM do they employ?
I ask for personally selfish reasons. I'm a graduate student at U of R (not Eastman). I don't live in the dorms, but I do have friends who do.
I'm happy that I'll probably see benefit from this, but I'm not sure it's a good expenditure of University funds.
On the other hand, it is a good idea for a community to pull together and bargain collectively with the music industry. That's really the only way to reach a reasonably fair deal.
http://yetanotherpoliticalrant.blogspot.com