:TLS: The Great Napster Debate! Or, why corporate America has lost the war...
TLS: The Great Napster Debate! Or, why corporate America has lost the war... Jul 31, 2000, 18 :01 UTC (7 Talkback[s]) (4478 reads) (Other stories by Jeff Gerhardt)
"OK so what is the problem that the record companies have with Napster? It is simple,
control of content flow and by that, the flow of the money. The old bit of advice on how
to find the root of a problem as "Follow The Money" is 100% appropriate here. And, in
that light their (the record companies) reaction to Napster is also very predictable.
Let's have a short history lesson..."
"So, REALLY who does Napster hurt?
Napster hurts a group of people who have primarily been leaching off of the entertainment industry for the last 100 years,
suits and lawyers.
How will it impact the existing business model?
Well it basically turns it on its ear. Like every evolutionary step, it will end one business model by creating a new model.
These models are starting to evolve as we speak. You will probably be going to a web site soon, and each time you
download a tune by Jon Bon Jovi you will see a commercial about the car he drives, or similar advertising based models.
The funny thing is that this shift has already begun..."
"Finally and probably the most important fact. Its too late folks. The war is already over. The "people" have already won.
The technology is out there. It is in the hands of hackers and comon folks alike. Even if Napster was to be sued out of
existence, the software would still be out there. It is not going to go away. The technology will continue to evolve. It will
get better."
