“If there’s one thing that Napster seems to believe in, it’s
sharing. The fast-growing service lets users obtain free MP3 files
of popular music, something the record industry calls “copyright
infringement” but which Napster describes as fans “sharing” their
favorite songs over the Internet.”
“When Hank Barry, Napster Inc.’s president, testified before
Congress earlier this month, he mentioned sharing seven times in
his opening statement. Among Mr. Barry’s sharing-friendly remarks:
“Napster … is a return to the original information-sharing
approach of the Internet….”
“But while Napster is eager to help its users share music, there
is one kind of sharing it won’t tolerate. That’s the sharing of
anything that belongs to Napster itself. The company may,
through its rap anthem, appear to encourage a disdain for “trade
laws” where music is concerned, but it readily invokes those same
laws when its own property is at stake.“