It is not Illegal to share mp3 files! Period. That's all Napster is doing, allowing people the ability to share files over the net. Whatever those people do with the mp3s from that point is where the legality issues come into play. And that should have nothing to do with Napster.
It's like a gun shop owner legally selling firearms. And a patron decides to shoot someone with a weapon he legally purchased from the store. The shop owner DID supply the means for the crime but is not guilty of any crime.
Worse, yet, all the news coverage of this (at least in the states) is "Napster - Soon to be banned from sharing mp3s"... That's probably the thing that irks me most. When ignorance is the basis for legal judgement!
You're 100% correct! Reading a lot of these anti-napster opinions, I see there's vast ignorance concerning the service Napster provides. Napster DOES NOT store any mp3s on THEIR servers! They don't store, sell, swap, distribute, etc... anything. They just allow net users a peer-to-peer file sharing ability. And Napster isn't the only site that does this. People share mp3s with each other. I guess I should get arrested for buying CDs and sharing them with friends!
So many people are so clueless about Napster and the services they provide. Know this though, mp3 sharing will not stop. There are too many Napster-like sites. The record companies would go broke if they tried to sue everyone that allowed net uses to share files.
I like Napster! And hope it stays. But will just use another service if they are forced to close up shop.
Slashdot Mirror
Again, another one, misses the point!
It is not Illegal to share mp3 files! Period. That's all Napster is doing, allowing people the ability to share files over the net. Whatever those people do with the mp3s from that point is where the legality issues come into play. And that should have nothing to do with Napster.
It's like a gun shop owner legally selling firearms. And a patron decides to shoot someone with a weapon he legally purchased from the store. The shop owner DID supply the means for the crime but is not guilty of any crime.
Worse, yet, all the news coverage of this (at least in the states) is "Napster - Soon to be banned from sharing mp3s"... That's probably the thing that irks me most. When ignorance is the basis for legal judgement!
-- off my soapbox ---
You're 100% correct! Reading a lot of these anti-napster opinions, I see there's vast ignorance concerning the service Napster provides. Napster DOES NOT store any mp3s on THEIR servers! They don't store, sell, swap, distribute, etc... anything. They just allow net users a peer-to-peer file sharing ability. And Napster isn't the only site that does this. People share mp3s with each other. I guess I should get arrested for buying CDs and sharing them with friends!
So many people are so clueless about Napster and the services they provide. Know this though, mp3 sharing will not stop. There are too many Napster-like sites. The record companies would go broke if they tried to sue everyone that allowed net uses to share files.
I like Napster! And hope it stays. But will just use another service if they are forced to close up shop.
--- end soapbox rant ---