activity that’s considered almost a ‘right’ by many users, is too popular to stomp out in one fell swoop” (Sherman) The technology under which Napster operates, File Transfer Protocol (FTP), has been in use since 1971. It would be as difficult to destroy this technology as it would music itself.But, that’s what the RIAA insists on attempting to do. Instead of embracing and adapting FTP and MP3s, they mindlessly attempt to crush it, like they do to all new technology. Alex Torralbas, who has worked in the recording industry, states, “in the 1980s they effectively killed the digital audio tape, and in the ‘70s, albums and tapes bore skull-and-crossbones stickers warning buyers against taping the music on cassettes.” The MP3 is nothing new to the RIAA – just another piece of technology to instinctively crush.“The record industry’s business model is pure Industrial Age; manufacturing and shipping pieces of plastic. MP3 and other forms of digital music threaten this model.” (Torralbas) It doesn’t matter that this technology would effectively allow RIAA to come into the Digital Age by letting users directly download music, bypassing the CD stage (for a small fee, of course). It doesn’t matter that, if Napster does shut down, virtually millions of music fans will be wondering where they can download music. It doesn’t matter that the majority of those same fans would be willing to pay money for downloadable music. Millions of people want easily accessible music, whether they pay for it or not, and if the RIAA doesn’t realize that soon, no amount of lawsuits will prevent them from becoming extinct.The United States Supreme Court has made its ruling against Napster, but how will it hold up in reality, or more specifically, on the Internet? In some cases, the law is extremely inadequate protections, and the Internet is one such case. Simply...
