No Napster 'til next year

Bard

From the PC Plus web site:

No Napster until 2002
Difficulties with record companies delays re-emergence
Oh dear, oh dear. Things just aren't going well for Napster again. Having been battered into submission by the courts to stop distributing copyright material it had planned to resurface as a legal music site with the full backing of the music industry. Those plans have now been put back until the first months of next year. The reason is cited as the difficulty in agreeing terms for the use of the copyright material. The music industry has its own services due for launch soon and is being 'difficult'. It has been mooted by Napster's head-man that the American Congress should think about a spot of compulsory licensing for online music distribution. This is the system used for radio stations and enables them to get access to music, otherwise the record business could start being 'difficult' about which radio stations played what.

Napster is aiming to employ technology the makes it impossible to copy your legally downloaded tracks elsewhere. Napster was bought by the media giant Bertlesmann, which has invested a good deal of money to try and make something of it. It once boasted massive numbers of users, tens of millions of subscribers. It is now becoming something of a by-word for the trouble that the online music business has found itself. The record industry wants to get into online distribution, but so far just can't seem to find a way to do it and retain control.

30th October 2001

Chris Lloyd
Site Editor

http://www.pcplus.co.uk/article.asp?id=31406&CAT=NEWS

Fidelis

Personnaly, I think it's amazing how quickly we all forgot about Napster and that Shawn guy... :rolleyes:

GoneShootin

not really, once the bubble burst on the FREE downloads of any song you wanted it was the likelyhood that users would head elsewhere

like audiogalaxy

Karl Hungus

Well... Do you think that the record companies would have any problem with the whole downloading thing if people actualy used this "Service" only as a "Try Before You Buy" type sceme?

I mean, this was one of the main reasons people used in Napsters defense...

I was wondering about this, and about what peoples opinions are on this is?

Myself, I always used to download mp3s of bands I'd hear of in magazines (Terrorizer mostly) to see what they're like, then save up a load of money, and go up to Dublin, to Sound Cellar, to get a feckload of CD's...

Would Dimmu Borgir mind that I had a few mp3s of theirs on my hard drive, seeing as I have five of their albums?
Or is it a case of the companies wanting to plug as much money as they can?

I think it's good that a lot of bands do have mp3s avaliable for download on their site. And that this is probably the best idea, if more bands can get into doing this.
Anyone agree? Disagree?

SantaHoe

Pifffle... Napster is yesterdays news.
If people want to pay for music - they can buy the CD online anyway... at least you've got something to show for your cash, and won't lose it when something goes horribly wrong and you have to reformat.

gurramok

Originally posted by Dead{o}Santa
Pifffle... Napster is yesterdays news.
If people want to pay for music - they can buy the CD online anyway... at least you've got something to show for your cash, and won't lose it when something goes horribly wrong and you have to reformat.

You are as much likely to have your cd collection lost /stolen/misplaced as well as to reformat a hd in a given period of time !
Have u ever heard of burnin those mp3's to cd for lets say a mp3 cd player(like a mp3 discman) ?
If ppl buy a cd, it usually costs at least £13(incl delvry) online, £15 maybe more for latest stuff at a store just for 1 album with mayb just one good song.
BTW, online/street stores never have any music what i like to listen to, which is one reason i turn to the likes of AG/kazaa to get what music i like to listen to and not market driven crap !

SantaHoe

Originally posted by gurramok
You are as much likely to have your cd collection lost /stolen/misplaced as well as to reformat a hd in a given period of time !

Maybe you are, but I've only lost maybe two CD's ever... and have reformatted or experienced harddisk failure dozens of times.

Have u ever heard of burnin those mp3's to cd for lets say a mp3 cd player(like a mp3 discman) ?

I've heard of it - but I haven't bothered spending £200-£300 for a CDRW drive.

BTW, online/street stores never have any music what i like to listen to

I guess I'm just one of the lucky ones then?

gurramok

Maybe you are, but I've only lost maybe two CD's ever... and have reformatted or experienced harddisk failure dozens of times.

Mayb...I have never experienced any hd failure yet with any of my hd (8 in all) since i got a pc, 4 yrs now. Just luck eh ?

I've heard of it - but I haven't bothered spending £200-£300 for a CDRW drive

cd-writers are alot cheaper than £200-£300, u can get one for £120 , the better ones start at about £170 in ItDirect !

I guess I'm just one of the lucky ones then?

Mayb u are, i wonder how many other ppl on the boards can find their want music in the local music store ?
I for one can never find anything of the small name artists from the 70s/80s that is not mainstream.

amp

... and have reformatted or experienced harddisk failure dozens of times.

My mp3's (and donkey pr0n) are backed up to dat tapes on my other PC which never gets messed with. Before that dat I backed up to cdr's all of which I have lost.

Karl Hungus

Well... As a whole arguement of mp3 Vs CD has taken place...

I'm plumbing for CD's here!

Why?

1. Computer Speakers do not subtitute for my lovely Hi-Fi.

2. I'm not gonna be carrying around my computer in my pocket listening to music.

3. In my case, I don't always find what I'm looking for on mp3, sound cellar usualy has, or gets in what I want. There is only 1 Diabolical Masquerade MP3 in circulation on morpheus, and I already have it.

4. I don't fancy paying for a CDRW, and then another kind of CD player, which is far more expensive.

5. Hard Drive failures happen. Happened to me before plenty, and I'm sure it won't be the last. My secondary Comp has been formatted by some foo at the Galway LAN recently.

6. There's a certian charm, and satisfaction in looking up in awe at the big stacks of CD's you own.

7. Original artwork, lyrics, and special digi-pack cases are just great to have. I have a couple of Covenant mp3's, but nothing compares to the Superb, utterly intricately detailed artwork on their album.

8. Piracy just does feel right.

SantaHoe

Originally posted by gurramok
Mayb...I have never experienced any hd failure yet with any of my hd (8 in all) since i got a pc, 4 yrs now. Just luck eh ?

Yup, I've gone though 5 HD's in 5 years, granted only one of them has failed beyond repair... but I've had my fair share of currupt file systems, deleted partitions (thanks to Linux), and various other unexplained failures which required the help of fdisk.
Just luck? Probably... it all depends on how you use your machine.

cd-writers are alot cheaper than £200-£300, u can get one for £120 , the better ones start at about £170 in ItDirect !

I'd still rather just buy a CD for £13.

Mayb u are, i wonder how many other ppl on the boards can find their want music in the local music store ?
I for one can never find anything of the small name artists from the 70s/80s that is not mainstream.

That's fine - I'm not arguing against the file-sharing of Mp3's ... I'm merely questioning the value of songs purchased though things like Napster... what are you really getting for your money?
As AngelWhore already pointed out, I really like to get the whole package... the cd, the cover - with lyrics, artwork etc.
CD's you can bring to a friends place, or a party, or... anywhere.
Without going to the bother of burning it on to a CD and hoping it turns out alright.
But hey - I'm not trying to talk you out of anything, just stating my case.

alb

Napster might be old news, but it seems everyone just moved to new system (audiogalaxy seems to be the forerunner at the moment) and now that copyright infingments are hampering it I'm sure people will move elsewhere soon, and this will perhaps be a never ending cycle of piracy (lets hope so )

I used to buy a good few CD's a few years back but in the last two years i've downloaded 600+ albums and tons of other stuff too. Sure my CDR drive cost £200 (though it does play DVD's too) but blanks are dirt cheap when bought in bulk, and the amount of music i have would have cost over £1000 to buy. I put the best on minidisc, which i used to do with CD's i bought anyway. When I do get a proper job I'll most likely buy my favourite albums on CD but until then the artists who might feel they're losing money due to my piracy can come gig here and I'll pay to see that.