RE: Crooks

You're probably right, but you and I and everyone else knows that that's not how the vast vast majority of people use Napster. I have friends who brag that they haven't bought a CD in over a year. Their cars are full of CDRs burned full of MP3s, none of which they bought a copy of legally.

If anything, this controversy has illuminated the conduct of the major recording companies in a way no other issue ever has, and net that has to be a good thing for both artists and consumers.

Long term, perhaps. Yes, Napster, Gnutella, MP3 in general is going to change the landscape of the music industry. However, I do not see what gives me or anyone else the right to download commercial music without permission in the mean time.

In practice, it appears you [an artist] surrender those rights to see your work enter the public arena by way of a publisher.

Quite. However, if the artist agrees and accepts that system, who are we to tell the artist otherwise? So if Metallica wants to control the distribution of their work, they deserve to have it, take it or leave it. Period.

The pressure Napster is bringing on recording companies may actually hasten the day when your statement regarding an artist's rights is true.

It certainly will hasten change. Just like mass organized crime brought about the end of prohibition.

Thanks for sharing!

Jim