Napster

The user can select songs they want other users to be able to download from their computer library, then they may download songs from other users' personal computer library. According to Napster, 800,000 users are logged onto the server at any given time. A wide variety of musical genres are available for users of every nation, style and age. The Fifth Amendment states, in part, that no one shall be deprived of life, liberty or property without due process of law. Shaun Fanning created Napster with his own creative genius and no intent to infringe on artists' rights. Technically, our government has the right to shut down Napster and its productions because it serves as a base for music piracy. However, the statement that, "no one shall be deprived of life, liberty or property without due process of law," backs up Napsters sides of the argument as well. The RIAA is trying to take away Shaun's full rights to Napster. Federal law does state that whole copies of music cannot be distributed without paying royalties to the owner, but Napster comes back with their universal argument of not trading the music, but simply providing a platform for the trading to be done on. Napster is benefiting many more people than it is causing an insignificant, inconvenience to. Napster argues that such technicalities should not be carried out exactly, because of their benefit to society. The RIAA claims that artists have expressed anger for not receiving any compensation, or even so much as a request for permission to create this platform. The only people being affected by Napster negatively are the artists. Some of the more out spoken artists are Eminem and Metallica. Their attacks on Napster show that they do not have as much interest in pleasing the public as they do in personal profit. The reason the case has remained in court so long is the huge number of people who support the program. No one wants to destroy something that offers an easy and fun way to find the music you want.